PM Modi visits hospital, reviews Air India crash site as probe begins into India’s worst aviation tragedy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited survivors of the Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad and reviewed the crash site. The disaster, which killed 241 people, is under investigation by AAIB. Only one passenger survived the crash, officials said.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he met those injured in the Air India plane crash.

PM Modi arrived in the city to take stock of the situation, a day after the deadly plane crash, which claimed the lives of 241 people, including 12 crew members onboard.

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The Prime Minister headed straight to the crash site from the airport and went around the devastated place. From here, he went to the hospital where he spoke to the injured and the attending doctors.

He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Union Minister C.R. Paatil during the hospital visit.

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

There were 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots on the flight.

One person — the passenger of seat No. 11A — survived the crash, officials said.

According to officials, the person is a British national of Indian origin who was seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The Prime Minister, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister for 12 years, had expressed his grief on his X handle on Thursday. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”

The crash is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history. The government has launched a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy. A team of forensic experts arrived at the crash site to begin an investigation and evidence collection as part of the ongoing probe

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who rushed to the crash site from Vijayawada on Thursday, said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been tasked with leading the inquiry.

“Following the tragic incident in Ahmedabad, a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Additionally, the Government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail. The committee will work to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such incidents in future,” the Minister announced on his X handle.

The AAIB, functioning under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is India’s designated authority for probing serious aviation incidents and operates in accordance with global standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had issued a distress call moments before losing altitude, and investigators are now focused on the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder — commonly known as black boxes — to reconstruct the final moments of the flight.