The UK Foreign Office said officials were working with Indian authorities to establish the facts around the crash and provide support to those involved.
Published Jun 13, 2025 | 12:29 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 13, 2025 | 12:29 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the crash site in Ahmedabad.
Synopsis: The Gujarat government has made arrangements to transport the bodies of the flight crash victims to their native villages as soon as they are identified via DNA testing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and convened a high-level meeting to review the situation.
Families of the Air India crash victims arrived at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday, 13 June, for DNA identification. The Gujarat government has made arrangements to transport the bodies of the crash victims to their native villages as soon as they are identified via DNA testing, said Anand BJP MP Mitesh Patel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and convened a high-level meeting with ministers and senior officials in Ahmedabad to review the situation following the flight crash. Discussions focused on rescue efforts, victim identification, and support measures for affected families.
The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed for London at 1.38 pm on Thursday, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew, but crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Meanwhile, officials of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport said on Friday that it remains fully operational for passengers. “In light of yesterday’s incident involving Air India flight AI 171, dedicated helpline numbers have been created for passenger queries and assistance,” it said in a post on X.
Rescue teams with sniffer dogs were combing the crash site of the aircraft along with forensic teams.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said that 265 bodies had so far been counted – including people who died on the ground – but the toll may rise as more body parts are recovered.
Former Executive Director of Air India and aviation expert Jitender Bhargava said a full investigation is required to ascertain the cause of the accident.
“Every time an accident occurs, the standard operating procedures are activated – and that has happened in this case as well. Air India, as the airline; Boeing, as the manufacturer of the Dreamliner aircraft; and the DGCA, as the regulatory agency, will naturally examine every aspect: What happened, why it happened, and so on. Yes, the accident occurred, but understanding why it happened will require a full investigation,” he said.
“This is the first instance of a Dreamliner aircraft being involved in an accident. The commander of the aircraft had 8,200 hours of flying experience, so you cannot blame the incident on a lack of pilot experience. As someone from the airline industry, my suggestion is that we must wait for the investigation to conclude and provide a clear explanation of where things went wrong and why the accident occurred,” he added.
Modi met the lone survivor among the passengers of the flight and others injured following the accident. He also met the wife of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who lost his life in the accident. Meanwhile, Gujarat Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel visited Rupani’s residence.
Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announced that a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“Additionally, the Government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail. The committee will work to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such incidents in future,” he said.
The UK Foreign Office said officials were working with Indian authorities to establish the facts around the crash and provide support to those involved. Gatwick airport officials said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of the passengers, reported The Guardian.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media on Friday, an eyewitness recounted the incident.
“I was just 40 seconds away from the place where this incident happened. I rushed to help and called my friends for help. I pulled out the bodies of the students from the debris, and some of them were my friends. Those students were having lunch. We pulled out the cylinders to avoid further blasts. We tried using fire extinguishers, but it wasn’t working properly. It was a fearful sight,” he said.
Boeing said it would defer to AAIB to provide information about Air India Flight 171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation protocol.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
