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 1:57 PM IST
Managed to escape as door broke off after crash: Sole survivor of Ahmedabad plane crash
The sole survivor of the Ahmedabad plane crash, Viswash Kumar Ramesh, said on Friday (June 13) that after the plane crashed into the medical college hostel, he saw that the door beside him had broken off and there was some space. “I don’t know about others. But where I landed, there was some space. When the door broke I saw that there was some space and I could try to get out. So I tried to escape and succeeded. People on the opposite side had the building’s wall in front of them, and perhaps that’s why they couldn't get out. I walked out of there. I suffered burn injuries on my left hand,” he told Doordarshan.
As to what happened right after the plane took off, he said that within five to six seconds after takeoff, it felt as though the aircraft had become stuck.
“Then I don’t know whether to gain altitude or not, the pain rammed into (the medical college hostel) at high speeds. The side of the plane where I was sitting, that part landed on the ground floor of the hostel,” he added.
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him how the incident happened. “He also asked me about my health condition. It all happened in front of my eyes. Even I can’t believe how I made it out alive. For a while, I thought that I would also die. When I opened my eyes, I found that I was alive. I removed my seat belt and got out of there. I saw the others were unable to escape,” he added.
- 13 Jun 2025 1:12 PM IST
PM Modi holds review meeting with senior officials on Air India plane crash
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a review meeting with top officials of the Gujarat government after visiting the site of the Air India plane crash here.
The meeting was held at the GujSail building near the city airport.
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.
- 13 Jun 2025 1:04 PM IST
Kerala official suspended over offensive post on plane crash victim
A government employee in Kerala has been suspended for making an offensive comment on Facebook about a Keralite nurse who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash.
A Pavithran, a junior superintendent at the Vellarikundu taluk office in Kasaragod district, was suspended on Friday after he mocked Ranjitha, a nurse from Pathanamthitta, who was among the victims of the crash.
In a Facebook post, State Revenue Minister K Rajan described Pavithran's remarks as "disgraceful", and said the suspension order was issued immediately after the post came to his attention.
Ranjitha, a mother of two, was working as a nurse in the UK. She had travelled to Kerala for a four-day visit to complete formalities related to her government job, with plans to rejoin the service after a stint abroad. She died when she boarded the ill-fated flight on her return.
Meanwhile, State Health Minister Veena George visited Ranjitha's residence in Pullad in Pathanamthitta district and consoled her two sobbing children and grief-stricken family members.
The crash occurred on Thursday afternoon when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171), carrying 242 people-- including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani-- crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Only one person survived the crash. A total of 241 people, including 168 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, lost their lives.
