Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday expressed condolences to the families of the deceased of the AI 171 plane crash.
“It is a painful incident. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to God that the people who passed away may their souls rest in peace, and their families get the strength to bear their sad demise,” Khandre said, speaking to the media, as reported news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also expressed deep sorrow over the plane crash. He further stated that the several people from Rajasthan were among the victims.
Speaking to reporters, Birla said, “The whole country is saddened and stands by the families of the deceased. Several people from Rajasthan have also died in this accident. We stand by their families.”
The AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane, bound for London`s Gatwick, had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. Air India stated that only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash, claiming the lives of 241 people, including 12 crew members, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday, reported ANI.
According to ANI, the aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is tasked with probing aircraft accidents in India.
Following the Air India Plane crash in Ahmedabad, a formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed 241 people onboard, the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met with Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the crash, as reported by ANI. The Prime Minister also met with others admitted to the same hospital with injuries sustained, as the plane crash caused injuries to people near the site of the incident.
(With inputs from ANI)