AI-171 plane crash: PM Modi meets with injured admitted at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital

ANI June 13, 2025 299 views

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited injured survivors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after the Air India flight crash killed 241 passengers. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, carrying 169 Indians and 53 Britons, crashed moments after takeoff following a Mayday call. Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed extreme fuel fires made rescue impossible, while the Tata Group announced compensation for victims' families. International investigators are joining India's probe into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history.

"The plane carried almost 125,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone..." - Amit Shah
Ahmedabad, June 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who on Friday morning arrived in Ahmedabad, took stock of the site of the Air India plane crash and then proceeded to the Civil Hospital in the city to meet with those injured in mishap that took place a day ago.

Key Points

1

PM Modi assessed crash site with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel

2

AI-171 carried 169 Indians, 53 Britons before fatal takeoff

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Boeing 787-8 crashed near doctors' hostel after Mayday call

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Tata Group offers Rs 1 crore compensation per victim

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi accompanied PM Modi during his visit.

Upon his arrival in the city today, PM Modi was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and Union Minister CR Paatil.

The AI-171 bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash.

There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane. Miraculously, one person, a British national of Indian origin survived the crash, airline authorities said.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.

Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter. An official said heavy black smoke was coming from the accident site.

Yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and obtained detailed information about the entire incident.

Shah said that there was no chance of saving anyone in the London-bound Air India plane crash because of the high temperature caused by the burning of almost 125,000 litres of fuel in the aircraft.

Expressing condolences to family members of those killed, Shah said the exact number of deaths will be officially released only after DNA tests. Shah revealed that approximately 1000 DNA tests have been conducted so far.

"The plane carried almost 125,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone... "I visited the crash site," the Home Minister told the media.

"In just 10 minutes of the incident, we got the information. After that, I informed the Prime Minister, the Gujrat Home Minister, the Control Room of the Home Department, the Civil Aviation Department and the Civil Aviation Minister. "The Prime Minister instantly called back, and the personnel from the Union and state governments jumped in jointly for the relief and rescue operations," he added.

The Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation tasked with probing aircraft accidents in India.

A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed 241 people onboard, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday.

"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 Organisation (ICAO)," Naidu posted on X.

He informed that the Indian government was also constituting a high-level committee of people with expertise in multiple disciplines to examine the crash incident and devise ways to strengthen aviation safety by preventing such incidents in the future.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a federal agency authorised by Congress to investigate civil aviation accidents in the United States (US), is gearing up to send a team of investigators to India to assist with probing the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash.

The Tata group-owned airline has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Those calling from outside India can call +91 8062779200.

The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Heartbreaking tragedy 😢 PM Modi's visit shows he cares, but we need answers. How did a modern Boeing 787 crash right after takeoff? The investigation must be transparent - no coverups. My prayers for all affected families.
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Priya M.
That poor British survivor must be traumatized beyond belief. Kudos to the rescue teams who worked in such dangerous conditions with burning fuel everywhere. Hope Air India and Boeing are held accountable if there was any negligence.
A
Arjun S.
The compensation amount is good but no money can bring back loved ones. We need better aviation safety standards in India. Why does it always take tragedies like this to wake up authorities? #NeverAgain
S
Sunita P.
The pilots had thousands of flying hours - this wasn't human error. Must be technical failure. Boeing needs to answer tough questions. Also, why was the plane carrying so much fuel? Seems excessive for London flight from Ahmedabad.
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Vikram J.
While the PM's visit is appreciated, I wish our leaders would focus more on preventing such accidents rather than just damage control afterwards. Our aviation infrastructure needs serious upgrades. Jai Hind 🇮🇳
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Neha T.
That poor resident doctors' hostel that got hit... Imagine studying medicine and suddenly a plane crashes into your building. So many lives lost across nationalities. Hope the investigation includes foreign experts for credibility.

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Tags:
AI-171 crash PM Modi Ahmedabad plane crash Air India Boeing 787 Bhupendra Patel Amit Shah