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 4:39 PM IST
AI Crew member Nganthoi's family leave for Ahmedabad for DNA tests
A sister and a cousin of Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, who was among the 12 cabin crew members onboard the Air India flight that crashed a day ago, left for Ahmedabad for DNA testing, family members said on Friday.
"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," cousin N Khenjita told PTI.
Twenty-year-old Nganthoi was among the 242 people onboard Air India Flight AI 171, which crashed minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Khenjita said they left Manipur and will reach Ahmedabad via Guwahati. PTI Ahmedabad
- 13 Jun 2025 4:03 PM IST
Perhaps the co-pilot mistakenly retracted the flaps: Former commercial pilot on Ahmedabad crash
A former commercial pilot Captain Steve said that one of the likely reasons behind the Air India aircraft’s crash was perhaps because when the pilot told the co-pilot to retract the landing gear, by mistake the co-pilot grabbed the flap handle and retracted the flaps which took away all the lift the wings were getting and the massive landing gears, that were still not retracted created “all sorts of drag.”
“You are already slow, you already have the power up all the way, this plane is as heavy as it would ever be and you still got those great big landing gears out there producing all sorts of drag. This is a bad combination at this point,” he said.
Steve also said that at that point the pilot was trying to pull the nose up and the engines were probably on full power but there was no lift so it resulted in a stall that eventually caused the crash.
- 13 Jun 2025 3:09 PM IST
Ahmedabad plane crash: AI crew member's father never got promised call from her
Before her flight to London, Air India crew member Maithili Patil had made a final, comforting promise to her father, Moreshwar Patil, that she would call him once she reached the city. But the call did not come.
Patil, 23, is among 12 crew members of ill-fated Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI-171) that crashed immediately after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.
A resident of Nhava village, Patil joined Air India two years ago and is the daughter of an ONGC labour contractor, former sarpanch of Nhava Jitendra Mhatre told PTI.
Mhatre, who is also Patil's relative, recalled that she had called her father minutes before the tragedy, assuring him that she would call once she reached London.
It is estimated that nine crew members, including the two pilots, were from Maharashtra.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171) with 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed into the complex of a medical college moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
One person survived the crash, while 241 on board were killed, of whom 12 were from Maharashtra, an official said. PTI
- 13 Jun 2025 2:48 PM IST
Ahmedabad plane crash: LIC relaxes claim settlement process for victims
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Friday said it has relaxed its claim settlement process for Air India plane crash victims and also expedite the process.
The corporation said it is committed to supporting those affected in the plane crash and will expedite claim settlements for the victims.
"LIC has announced many concessions to mitigate the hardships of the claimants of LIC policies. In lieu of death certificates, any evidence in government records of death of the policyholder due to the plane crash or any compensation paid by central/state government /airline authorities will be accepted as proof of death," the insurance company said in a statement.
All efforts will be taken to ensure that the claimants are reached out and claims are settled expeditiously to the affected families, it said. PTI
For further assistance, the claimants may contact the nearest branch or division of LIC, it said, adding, the claimants may also call at LIC's call centre 022-68276827.
Meanwhile, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance also said it has established a dedicated special claims settlement desk to prioritize the processing of death and disability claims for its customers impacted due to this tragedy.
With utmost urgency, an expeditious process has been established to swiftly settle these policy claims, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance said in a statement.
