Finance
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and talked with the injured at a hospital in Ahmedabad, saying that the loss of so many lives was sad.
The tragedy, one of the deadliest air tragedies in recent memory, killed 241 people and left many more on the ground where the ill-fated airliner fell on Thursday.
“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. Om Shanti,” PM Modi wrote on his X handle after his visits to the crash site and the hospital.
Earlier in the day, he arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport and drove straight to the crash site in the Meghaninagar area. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu and Union Minister C.R. Paatil.
After visiting the site, PM Modi said the scene was devastating. He was briefed by the officials at the crash site.
“Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” the PM wrote on X.
PM Modi went from the disaster scene to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he met with people injured in the Air India plane crash. He met the crash’s lone survivor, Indian-origin British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, at the hospital.
The Prime Minister also met with people injured after the jet crashed into a dormitory.
On Thursday afternoon, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport.
The airplane, traveling as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing all 241 people on board.
The flight included 230 passengers, ten staff members, and two pilots. One individual, the passenger in seat No. 11A, survived the crash, officials said.
The Prime Minister, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister for 12 years, had expressed his grief on his X handle on Thursday. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
The crash is regarded as one of the biggest aviation tragedies in Indian history. The administration has begun a thorough investigation into the disaster. A team of forensic experts arrived at the crash site to inspect and collect evidence as part of the continuing investigation.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, who went to the disaster scene from Vijayawada on Thursday, said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will head the investigation.
Source: IANS
