Unconfirmed reports suggest that as many as three people with Croydon connections may have been among those killed when an Air India flight bound for Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Bleak: the crash devastated a residential area close to Ahmedabad airport, and hs claimed more than 260 lives
There were 242 passengers and crew on board the aircraft, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and a Canadian. Only one passenger survived the crash, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
At least another 20 people were killed when the aircraft crashed into the ground at Meghani Nagar, destroying a hostel where medical students were living. Wreckage was spread over an area of more than 200 metres radius.
Yesterday, Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, visited the crash site.
A team of flight investigators from Britain arrived in Gujarat yesterday to assist in the search efforts, as an explanation is sought for the tragedy of Air India flight 171.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has already recovered both black boxes from the stricken Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The black boxes should provide flight data and cockpit recordings of the final moments of the doomed flight.
Recovery work: Indian authorities are taking great care, and respect, in recovering victims
The recovery of the black box “marks an important step forward in the investigation” and will “significantly aid the inquiry”, India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, told the BBC yesterday.
Responders are relying on DNA from relatives to identify the victims.
The British government has set up a helpline for any nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family: 020 7008 5000.
As the search for evidence continues, and the authorities painstakingly seek to identify victims and inform their relatives, further details are awaited of any Croydon residents or their relatives who may have been on board AI171.
Jose Joseph, the chair of the local business association, is working to assist anyone in Croydon affected by the tragedy.
“Croydon Business Association wishes to express our deepest condolences in the wake of the tragic air crash in Ahmedabad,” Joseph said.
“This devastating incident has profoundly affected the victims, their families and the wider community. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families who have tragically lost their loved ones, and all individuals impacted by this heartbreaking event.”
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