Shattered, this family from Bapunagar in Ahmedabad sits in the designated area, their faces hollow with grief. They lost their sister and husband in Thursday's flight crash. Police say most bodies are charred beyond recognition and DNA tests are being conducted.
Air India plane crash LIVE: Black box found; DGCA orders safety audit for Dreamliner fleet
PM Narendra Modi visits Ahmedabad, holds review meetings with top officials of the Gujarat government
Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday (June 13) ordered enhanced safety inspection of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet powered by GEnx engines, a day after 241 people onboard died in the plane crash in Ahmedabad.
The enhanced DGCA inspection will include checks of various systems and a review of take-off parameters of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India, owned by the Tata Group.
Air India's fleet includes 26 Boeing 787-8 aircraft and 7 Boeing 787-9 planes.
PM's review meet
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting in Ahmedabad with top officials of the Gujarat government after visiting the site of the Air India plane crash.
During the meeting, PM Modi was briefed about the series of events that unfolded after the plane crash in which 265 people lost their lives on Thursday, and he also gave instructions to officials. He visited the crash site and city civil hospital earlier in the day.
“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heart-breaking 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,” Modi said in a post on X.
Modi also met the family of former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani and offered his condolences. The former CM died in the flight crash.
Read updates here.
Live Updates
- 13 Jun 2025 5:53 PM IST
Ahmedabad plane crash: Gujarat youth dies two days after marriage
Bhavik Maheshwari (26) had a simple court marriage in the city two days ago as he had to leave for London where he worked, and his parents had planned a more elaborate function when he returned next.
It was not to be, as the Air India flight carrying him and 241 other passengers and crew crashed soon after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, killing all but one. The newly-wed Bhavik was one of the victims. Bhavik's father Arjun Maheshwari fought back his tears as he spoke to media persons a day after the tragedy.
When his son came to Vadodara two weeks ago on vacation, the family decided to get him married, he said.
"During his trip to his hometown, we arranged his marriage," said Arjun Maheshwari, his eyes swollen due to crying.
Around 1 pm on Thursday, the father and son had their last conversation.
"He called me to say that everything was done and he was ready for take-off. He asked me not to worry as he was going home. He had completed his studies and was working in London. After half an hour, nobody could make any sense of what happened," he said.
Members of the Maheshwari family, living in Vadi area of Vadodara, were inconsolable. PTI
- 13 Jun 2025 5:20 PM IST
Ahmedabad plane crash: British Indian community mourns loss of lives
Britain's Indian community was understandably shaken by the tragic loss of lives in the London-bound Air India plane crash, with temples around the UK on Friday witnessing impromptu prayers and vigils in memory of the victims.
The Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight route is a popular one for the diaspora with families in both countries, especially Britain's estimated 600,000-strong Gujarati community.
The National Council of Gujarati Organisations UK (NCGO-UK) described it as a “dark and tragic day” for the community as it has been coordinating plans for a vigil in memory of the lives lost.
"This is a dark and tragic day for our community. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this heartbreaking incident. The Gujarati and wider Indian communities across the United Kingdom and around the world are united in grief over this unimaginable loss,” noted the NCGO-UK.
The family of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh in Leicester expressed their relief at his miraculous escape as the sole survivor of the crash, while still in anguish at his missing brother Ajay.
"We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened, just utter shock; speechless,” Nayan Kumar Ramesh told the BBC.
"He [Vishwash] himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out of the plane. When he called us, he was just more worried about my other brother, like 'Find Ajay, find Ajay'. That's all he cares about at the moment," he said.
India Global Forum’s annual UK-India Week, which begins next week and is set to be addressed by leading ministers and policymakers from both governments, announced a commemoration of the victims of the tragedy.
"As we come together next week for our annual UK-India Week, we will take a moment to reflect on this loss, commemorating those who perished and reaffirming our commitment to the living bond between our countries,” said IGF’s British Gujarati founder and chairman Manoj Ladwa. PTI
- 13 Jun 2025 5:00 PM IST
24 hours after crash, man still looking for his mother and daughter
Twenty-four hours after one of aviation's worst disasters, Ravi Thakor was a picture of agony and pain as he went about trying to trace his mother and toddler daughter, who were at the BJ Medical College hostel mess into which Air India's Ahmedabad-London flight crashed minutes after take off, killing all but one on board.
At least 265 people were killed on Thursday when a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. While 241 persons who died were passengers, other fatalities were on the ground.
"My mother, wife and I work at the BJ Medical College mess. Junior doctors come here to have their lunch, while food for senior doctors is packed and taken to the civil hospital as part of a tiffin service. At 1am on Thursday, we packed food and went to the hospital, while my mother and my daughter were in the mess," a distraught Thakor told reporters.
Since he, his father and wife are out as part of the tiffin service, the toddler is left with the grandmother while she prepares food at the mess, Thakor said on Friday.
"At the time of the crash, my mother Sarla and daughter Aadya were in the mess. It has been 24 hours but I have not got any clue about what has happened to them. I have gone through the lists provided by authorities and have searched for them in civil and private hospitals all through the night," he said, his pain at "unresponsive" authorities evident.
"All the missing students have been located and bodies identified. Only my mother and daughter are untraceable. The guards in the mess are not letting anyone in. I think my mother and daughter may have gone to the ground floor using the stairs. All we want authorities to do is allow us to look around for our satisfaction," Thakor pleaded.
Among those who were killed on the ground were four MBBS students and a doctor's wife, while several students bore the impact of aircraft parts smashing into the dining hall of the multi-storey hostel building during lunch hours, police had earlier said.
