Over 240 die in Air India crash in Ahmedabad

In one of India’s worst aviation disasters, a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex here and burst into a ball of fire on Thursday moments after takeoff, possibly killing almost everyone on board.
The Indian Medical Association Gujarat has confirmed the deaths of three MBBS students, adding that 45 others have been hospitalised following the incident. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was among the dead, according to BJP leader C R Patil.
Two cabin crew members from Manipur– Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam and Lamnunthem Singson– were among those who lost their lives in the tragic air crash.
Unofficial reports said up to 25 people in the medical complex could also have died.
There were also reports of one passenger identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh and seated on 11A of the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI171) having survived miraculously.
Union home minister Amit Shah who rushed to Ahmedabad stated that there was no chance of saving anyone after the deadly crash due to the high temperatures and large quantity of fuel on board.
Shah said, as quoted by ANI, “The plane carried almost 1,25,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone.”
He also stated that the DNA samples of family members of the 242 passengers on board was being collected and the bodies of the deceased would be released once their DNA tests are concluded.
According to Air India, of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The other 12 people on board were two pilots and 10 crew members.
The search was also on for the aircraft’s black box — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — for clues to understand what happened in the last crucial moments of the doomed flight to London’s Gatwick airport.
The 11-year-old aircraft could be seen from miles away, losing altitude rapidly and combusting in a fiery blaze that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air. Aviation experts said going by the available visuals lack of thrust in both engines and a bird hit could be among the probable causes.
“The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from Runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Eyewitnesses in Ahmedabad said the blaze was so intense that it led to several multi-storey buildings being burnt, trees singed and cars damaged.
One image showed the snout of the plane crashing through the top floor of a building that appeared to be a dining area of the hostel of nurses and doctors.
This is the first crash involving the Boeing Dreamliner, feted for its advanced features.
US to assist in investigation: A US government agency that investigates civil aviation accidents on Thursday said it would be leading a team of American investigators to India to assist in the investigation of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad.