A Heartbreaking Incident

An Air India plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The airline confirmed on Friday that 241 people on board lost their lives.

Survivors and Victims

Out of 230 passengers, only one survived. His name is Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin. He is currently in the hospital receiving treatment.

Unfortunately, all 12 crew members died in the crash.

Passenger Nationalities

The passengers came from different countries:

• 169 were from India
• 53 were from Britain
• 7 were from Portugal
• 1 was from Canada

Impact on the Ground

The plane crashed into a hostel building of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. This sad event also caused the deaths of at least four medical students on the ground.

We are still not sure about the exact number of ground victims. Some reports say at least 24 people died, while others say 28 died at the crash site.

Dr. Minakshi Parikh, the dean of the medical college, said that two more medical students are missing. Also, 20 people were injured, with five of them in serious condition.

What Happened During the Crash

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was on its way to London’s Gatwick Airport. It crashed just 33 seconds after taking off. This is considered the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

Timeline of the Crash

The flight captain made a Mayday distress call to the air traffic controller. Soon after, they lost communication.

The plane had a full fuel tank, which caused a huge explosion when it crashed. Thick black smoke rose from the crash site, about 3 km from Ahmedabad airport.

Investigation and Safety

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will investigate the crash. This follows international rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The government will also create a group of experts. Their job is to look into the incident, improve aviation safety, and prevent future tragedies.

Flight data shows the aircraft reached a height of 625 feet before it started to descend vertically. It crashed into a residential area within minutes.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation reported that the aircraft was under the command of:

• Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a line training captain with 8,200 hours of experience
• First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience

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Also read: ‘The ceiling began to fall’: Medical student describes Air India plane crashing into hostel mess