Ahmedabad plane crash: Finding black box in 28 hrs 'significant', says govt

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Social media is abuzz with a 'miracle' that came to light in the aftermath of the deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed at least 260 people – an almost-intact hard copy of the religious text, the Bhagavad Gita. The holy book remained mostly undamaged despite the intense heat and burning fuel. More details.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: A couple who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy, UK-based news agency PA Media has reported, citing a London temple leader.

Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London, said the couple had been returning from a religious celebration in India when the flight went down. Read full report here

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that the Flight Data Recorder, also known as the black box, was recovered within 28 hours from the plane crash site in Ahmedabad.

He called it a significant step forward in the investigation into the tragic accident that claimed 241 lives. "This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident," he wrote on X.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: In a video message, Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India says: “All of us at Air India are devastated by this loss and grieve for those affected, their families and their loved ones. Air India's advanced team of nearly 100 caregivers and 40 engineers has now arrived in Ahmedabad.” 

He adds: “The technical team is now helping at the site and the caregivers are providing support to families. Many more caregivers are travelling to Ahmedabad to provide further support.”

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: British high commissioner to India Lindy Cameron met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad on Friday and said the two countries were working together to establish the facts of the Air India plane crash.

"We shared condolences in the face of this tragic accident, and I offered my thanks for the work of tireless first responders here in Ahmedabad. The UK and India are working together to establish the facts," Cameron said in a post on X.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: The temperature in and around the crashed Air India plane site increased to about 1,000 degree Celsius, which made the rescue operations extremely difficult, PTI news agency reported on Thursday night, citing officials.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: In an internal communication to employees, chairman N Chandrasekaran investigative teams from India, UK, and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash.

“In the past 24 hours, investigative teams from India, UK, and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash. They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings,” he says.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Residents from across Ahmedabad thronged the Air India Dreamliner crash site at the BJ medical college hostel building in Meghani Nagar to click selfies and record videos on Friday. Most wanted to click a photo of the tail of the Dreamliner still lodged in the hostel building. Read more.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Aviation watchdog DGCA has ordered an enhanced safety inspection of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.

The inspection is to include checks of various systems and a review of take-off parameters of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India, owned by Tata Group.

An inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems, electronic engine control system test, engine fuel driven actuator-operational test, and oil system checks have also been ordered.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: "The incident that occurred in Ahmedabad is very unfortunate. It was a major accident that happened so suddenly, people couldn't even comprehend it before the crash took place. Fortunately, one person survived. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family..." Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde tells reporters, according to PTI.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: In a message to his colleagues following the Air India plane crash, Tata Group head Natarajan Chandrasekaran states that it is one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history.

“What occurred yesterday was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning. To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible. This is one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history,” he wrote in an internal mail.

“Words are no consolation right now, but my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them.”

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was commanding the Air India aircraft, had spoken to his elderly father, Pushkaraj, just three days before the ill-fated flight, telling him he planned to resign and return home. "Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him," a family friend said. Read more.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: “The flight data recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB,” aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu wrote on X. “This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident.”

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: In the wake of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the DGCA has directed intensified safety inspections of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet, reports PTI.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: A team of NIA today visited the Ahmedabad plane crash site, PTI reported, citing officials. The team was accompanied by other central agencies officials.

Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: The black box of the London-bound Air India aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport has been recovered.

A relative of one of the victims, who was moving to London after marriage, said that she had “dreams of living abroad”. “She (the deceased Jaishreeben Patel) was my relative. She was going to London after her marriage,” the woman said, adding that the victim's husband was staying in London. 

Family members of cabin crew attendant Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, who was onboard the Air India flight which crashed in Ahmedabad, have left for the city to provide DNA samples for identification of the body. This includes the deceased's sister and cousin.

"A doctor from Gujarat called us and said Nganthoi's name was not on the list of injured persons. He asked us to reach Ahmedabad for DNA tests to identify her body," her cousin told PTI. 

The Gujarat president of the Indian Medical Association Dr Mehul Shah on Friday said that more than 100 doctors had reached the hospital campus to support the government. “... Unfortunately, we have lost 4 medical students and a doctor's wife. But fortunately, we have saved more than 45 medical students in the hostel area,” Shah said.

He added that the doctors were in constant contact with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi, and the B J Medical Civil Hospital authorities. 

One of the close friends of cabin attendant Shradha Dhavan, who was onboard the Air India flight which crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport, recounted her bond with the crew member. 

"For 21 years, ever since we joined Air India together, we never missed calling each other before or after every landing and takeoff," PTI quoted the friend (whose name was not revealed) as saying. 

The friend said that she thought of speaking to Shradha before the Air India flight-took off, adding that the call never took place. “With the passing of Shradha, some portion of my soul has been taken away,” the victim's friend said.

The BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party cancelled all programmes scheduled for Friday in view of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad a day before. BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary told PTI that all programmes on June 13 had been cancelled. 

UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said that the party had cancelled all programmes and changed them to 'shraddhanjali sabha', as per PTI. The Samajwadi Party has also suspended events for the next three days.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited the site of the plane crash in Ahmedabad. Officials from other central agencies also accompanied the NIA team, PTI quoted the officials as saying.

The Air India plane carrying 242 people onboard had crashed into the residential quarters of the B J Medical College. Earlier, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also ramped up its emergency response, increasing the number of deployed teams at the crash site to seven.

A family of five from Rajasthan – including a doctor couple and three children – who were travelling to London to start a new life were among the passengers onboard the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad. A photo of the family is doing the rounds on social media. 

Komi Vyas, who was working as a doctor in Meghalaya, had left her job to shift to London with her husband, Prateek Joshi, and their children, ANI reported. Joshi had moved to London a while ago, and had returned to take his family with him.

Harpreet Kaur Hora was one of the 241 passengers declared dead after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad. Hora's father-in-law told ANI that he had received the news from TV, adding that she was going to meet her husband in London. He said that Hora's last rites would be performed in Ahmedabad.

A black box has been recovered from the site of the Ahmedabad plane crash, Reuters quoted two police sources as saying. A black box is a small machine that records information about an aircraft during its flight. The black box also comprises two recorders, a cockpit voice recorder for pilot voices and cockpit sounds, and a separate flight data recorder.