Ahmedabad: A high-level government committee will hold its first meeting on Monday to investigate the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash, which claimed at least 271 lives. This meeting marks a crucial step in the ongoing process, even as the first funerals took place Sunday, amidst an agonising wait for many families to receive the remains of their loved ones.
The committee, chaired by the Home Secretary, is tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the crash and formulating Standard Operating Procedures to prevent future tragedies, with a three-month deadline for its report, as reported by the news agency PTI.
This high-level inquiry runs concurrently with a technical investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) at the crash site.
As of Sunday evening, only 87 victims had been formally identified through DNA matching, leaving over 200 still unconfirmed. This agonising delay is causing immense distress for families still awaiting news. Imtiyaz Ali, for example, expressed his frustration at the lack of information regarding his brother Javed, who died along with his wife and two children.
“My 72 hours are over, but I’ve not heard from them so far,” Imtiyaz Ali said.
The confirmation of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani’s death through DNA matching, coupled with the state government’s declaration of Monday as a day of mourning, provided a sombre backdrop to the meeting. Rupani’s remains were released to his family on Monday morning for a funeral in Rajkot.
PK Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited Ahmedabad to oversee relief efforts. His visit included surveying the crash site at BJ Medical College, meeting bereaved families at Civil Hospital, and observing DNA matching processes at Gandhinagar’s Forensic Science Laboratory.
He instructed authorities to expedite compassionate assistance to the affected families and prioritise treatment for the injured. A subsequent review meeting at Circuit House brought together central and state officials, AAIB representatives, and Airport Authority officials.
The international aspect of the investigation has intensified, with teams of experts arriving from both the UK and the US. A seven-member Boeing team spent hours at the sealed BJ Medical College hostel complex, examining the wreckage.
“They were inside for almost two hours. The debris of the plane, including all its parts, are still inside,” said a police officer guarding the complex.
Aviation experts from the UK, brought in by Air India, also joined the investigation, signaling a multi-national effort to uncover the cause of the crash. The AAIB leads the primary technical investigation, running concurrently with a parallel probe by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) due to the American-made Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Both the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been recovered and secured.
“The AAIB has launched a detailed investigation, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a parallel probe under international protocols since the aircraft is American-made. Officials confirmed that the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) have been located and secured,” an official statement said.
