NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the devastating Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad, where 241 people lost their lives in one of country’s worst aviation disasters. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and Union civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, also met with the sole survivor at the civil hospital.“Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,” PM Modi said in a post on X.The Air India flight AI-171, bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a resident doctors’ hostel building near the airport.The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. A British national of Indian origin survived the crash. The aircraft was operated by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar.Home minister Amit Shah, who visited the site yesterday, revealed that the high temperature caused by the burning of approximately 125,000 litres of fuel made rescue efforts impossible. He mentioned that around 1,000 DNA tests have been conducted to officially confirm the casualties.“In just 10 minutes of the incident, we got the information. The Prime Minister instantly called back, and personnel from the Union and state governments jointly initiated relief and rescue operations,” Shah stated.
