New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the aviation department has initiated an investigation into the Air India plane crash incident that claimed 241 lives. The Ahmedabad-London Air India flight with 242 people onboard, crashed within seconds of taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport on Thursday afternoon.
The plane brushed past one of the buildings in Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College(BJMC)compound before crashing and bursting into flames. Of the 242 people onboard, only one survived, Air India said in a statement. While Air India has confirmed that 241 people were killed in the deadly crash, Shah said that. The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed.
Key points from Amit Shah’s press conference:
• The entire nation is shocked by the unfortunate incident involving Air India flight number AI-171. All citizens of the country stand in solidarity with the families of the passengers who were affected by this tragedy.
• On behalf of the Government of India, the Government of Gujarat, and the Hon’ble Prime Minister, I express deep condolences to all those who lost their lives.
• The Government of India and the Government of Gujarat are jointly engaged in relief and rescue operations.
• I met the injured survivor of the accident at the hospital.
• The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed.
• Immediately after the incident, the Government of Gujarat alerted all disaster management units, including the Health Department, Fire Brigade, Police Department, and also involved CAPF units of the Government of India. All agencies jointly began relief and rescue efforts.
• Visited various parts of the incident site.
• The DNA sampling process for relatives who have reached the incident site will be completed within the next 2–3 hours. Families whose relatives are abroad have already been informed, and their DNA samples will be taken upon arrival.
• Gujarat’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) will jointly complete the DNA testing in the shortest possible time, after which the bodies of the deceased will be handed over to their families.
• All necessary arrangements have been made for the accommodation, mental support, and trauma care of the affected family members.
• The Aviation Department has initiated its investigation with urgency.
