‘We are all devastated,’ says PM Modi as he visits Air India crash site, meets injured at hospital
GUJURAT, JUN 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the site of the the Air India AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, in which 265 people lost their lives, and met the injured victims at the civil hospital here.
Modi posted his message of grief and condolence on X as he visited the crash site and met the injured being treated.
He said, “We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families.”
“We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come,” he added.
The prime minister spent around 20 minutes inspecting the site, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171) crashed into a complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghaninagar area shortly after taking off on Thursday afternoon.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi briefed Modi about how the plane crashed into the college hostel and mess.
The prime minister then proceeded to the city’s civil hospital to meet those injured in mishap. He also met Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the only passenger to miraculously survive the crash that took place a day ago.
He visited the C7 ward of the hospital, where 25 injured people are undergoing treatment, and also interacted with the doctors. The prime minister spent around 10 minutes at the hospital.
Modi proceeded to hold a meeting with state and civil aviation officers at the GujSail office near the Ahmedabad airport.
A day earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Naidu visited the crash site to assess the situation. Naidu said the government has set up a high-level committee to probe the incident.
Meanwhile, the operation to clear the site of the crash continued overnight and is in the last stages, an official said on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said the operation to clear the site continued overnight, and some debris still needed to be removed. “Bodies were charred beyond recognition,” she said.
Desai had earlier said 265 bodies were sent to the city civil hospital.
Meanwhile, rescuers are yet to locate the black box of the Air India flight, with investigators saying the flight and cockpit recorders are key to understanding the cause.
Often painted bright orange for visibility, the black box comprises the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which capture key technical information and pilot communications before a crash.
Notablt, the Air India flight AI 171 — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — with 242 people on board, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, crashed into a medical college complex in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
One person survived the tragedy, while 241 on board, including 168 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, were killed.
The aircraft could be seen from afar, losing altitude rapidly and crashing in a ball of fire that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.
Four MBBS students and a doctor’s wife were among those killed at the complex of BJ Medical College outside the airport perimeter.
-PTI
