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[VIDEO] Air India plane crash death toll rises to 270 [Update@ Post#243]

Wait for bodies deepens pain of families after Air India crash

For Mistry Jignesh, 72 hours feel like an eternity.

Since Thursday evening, Mr Jignesh and his family have been doing the rounds of the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, trying to find details of his 22-year-old niece - one of the 242 passengers that died in an Air India plane crash earlier that day.

Authorities had been telling him they would return his niece's body in the 72 hours normally required to complete DNA matching - which end on Sunday.

But on Saturday, he was told that it might take longer as officials are still searching for bodies from the site of the crash, he claimed.

"When people are still missing, how can they possibly complete the DNA process by tomorrow? What if my niece's remains have not even been found? The wait is killing us," he said.

Officials have refused to comment on Mr Jignesh's claim, but a fire department officer and a police official told the BBC on the condition of anonymity that a search for remains of the passengers is still under way.

Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent of the Civil Hospital, said on Saturday that 11 victims had been identified so far based on their DNA samples, adding that their families had been informed.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was on its way to London's Gatwick Airport, crashed and erupted in a fireball shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's main airport, in what has been India's worst aviation disaster.

Only one of the 242 passengers and crew on board survived. At least eight others were killed as the plane struck the hostel of a medical college when it came down on a densely populated residential area near the airport.

Things have moved swiftly since.

The Indian government has ordered a high-level investigation into the incident and has ordered all Boeing 787s operated by local carriers to be inspected.

While the reason of the crash remains unknown, the country's aviation authority has said it is looking into all possible causes for the accident, also bringing in foreign aviation experts to assist with the inquiry.

Back at the hospital, doctors are racing to complete the DNA sampling of the victims so that they can start returning bodies to their families.

But for families like Mr Jignesh's, time passes in dragging lulls.

Officials have talked about how the process of identifying bodies has been extremely challenging - and is being carried out in small batches - as most of the remains have been charred beyond recognition.

"There is no scope for mistakes here - we have to ensure that every family receives the right body," said HP Sanghvi, the director of Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Gandhinagar city. "But DNA identification is a time-consuming process. Besides, given the scale of the disaster, there is also a possibility that the DNA of several passengers was damaged due to the extremely high temperature of the blast."

Jaishankar Pillai, a forensic dentist at the hospital, told reporters that his team has been trying to collect dental records from charred bodies, as that might be the only source of DNA left.

The wait has been beyond agonising for the families, many of whom refused to speak to the media, saying they just want to go back home with "whatever is left of their loved ones".

"We are in no condition to say anything. Words fail us right now," a woman, who was waiting with three members of her family outside the autopsy room, told the BBC impatiently, as she quickly slipped into her car.

Meanwhile, officials at the BJ Medical College have started to vacate several wards of the hostel, near which the plane struck. So far, four wards - including the hostel canteen, the site of the crash - have been completely emptied out.

But students living in other nearby wings of the hostel have also begun to leave.

"In one of the wards, there are just three people left - everyone else has gone back to their homes for now. They will leave soon too, but until then, they are sitting there, all alone, haunted by the memory of what has happened," their friend, who is also a student at the college and wanted to stay anonymous, said.

But between the college and hospital - in the vast expanse of this city of more than seven million people - there are many others who also are reeling from the tragedy.

The last Kartik Kalawadia heard of his brother Mahesh was on Thursday, some 30 minutes before the crash.

It was a phone call Mahesh made to his wife: "I am coming home," he said to her.

She never heard from him again.

A music producer in the Gujarati film industry, Mahesh had been on his way back home from work that day and was crossing the area when the plane hurtled down and crashed into the buildings.

Mr Kalawadia told the BBC that his brother's last location before his phone became unreachable was just a few hundred metres away from BJ Medical college.

The family has since filed a police complaint and has made countless visits to the Civil Hospital. They have found nothing so far.

"The hospital told us they have no record of my brother. We also tried tracing his scooter, but nothing came of that either," Mr Kalawadia said.

"It's like he vanished into thin air."

At a press conference on Saturday, Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha admitted that the last two days had been "very hard", but assured the investigation was proceeding smoothly and in the right direction.

But Mr Kalawadia wondered if any of these inquires - into the plane crash, the victims and beyond - would help him find his brother, dead or alive.

"We don't know the answer, but we can hope it's a positive one, I guess," he said.

Back at the Civil Hospital, the wait continues to haunt families.

When the BBC last met Imtiyaz Ali Sayed over Thursday night, he was still in denial that his family - his brother Javed along with his wife and two children - could have died in the crash.

But on Saturday, he seemed closer to "accepting the truth".

"With just a few hours left, we are now trying to decide what will it be: will we bury him here, or in the UK, where his wife's family lives," he said.

"To me, it makes no difference you know?" he continued, "because he's gone, from ashes to dust and back to God."

BBC
 
Air India plane crash death toll rises to 270

Doctors in India say 270 bodies have been recovered from the site of Thursday's plane crash in Ahmedabad.

The London-bound aircraft crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off killing all but one of the 242 passengers, a 40-year-old British man.

Officials have been trying to establish how many people were killed on the ground and have been continuing the slow process of matching DNA samples to confirm the victims' identities.

Vigils honouring the dead have taken place across India and the UK.

BBC
 
Yet another crash... WHat is going on.

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Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.

The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.

The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.

Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.

The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.

Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.

 
Yet another crash... WHat is going on.

------------------

Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.

The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.

The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.

Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.

The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.

Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.

Om Shanti
 
That was my initial thought. But then the airline would have denied it if he was not on board the plane. Surely they have record of who boarded etc...
Unless I see a video of him boarding the plane then I ain't buying this 'Miracle of A11' propaganda.

Sadly, the bodies on board are beyond recognition.
 
Yet another crash... WHat is going on.

------------------

Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.

The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.

The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.

Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.

The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.

Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.


could be karma after India killing innocents in Pakistan

:kp
 

Boeing Again;

A British Airways Boeing 787-8 (reg: G-ZBJG) BA35 to Chennai was forced to return to London Heathrow shortly after takeoff from Runway 27R today, June 15. The aircraft leveled off around 9,000 feet before heading back.

Shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow (LHR), the captain of flight BA35 to Chennai (MAA) reported a "FLAP ADJUSTMENT FAILURE".

The crew had to dump fuel while holding for over an hour before returning safely to LHR.

The Boeing 787-8 diverted to origin airport LHR due to flap adjustment failure which refers to a malfunction within the flap drive system—it could be the parts that move the flaps (the torque tubes, actuators, and sensors).
 
In 2020, Pakistan airliner also crashed in similar way in Karachi killings 100 on board

Later air crash investigation reveals Pakistani pilots were discussing current affairs I.e. corona pandamic and restrictions in Pakistan instead of concentrating on flying plane😀
 
Yet another crash... WHat is going on.

------------------

Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.

The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.

The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.

Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.

The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.

Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.

The pilot of this helicopter had recently became father of twins! What a sad sad incident!

Hope they all RIP.
 
Same motabhai said a few days before Pahalgam that Kashmir is now free of terrorism. Perhaps time has come to get rid of some of his responsibilities as he has too many things to take care of.
 
Air India on Tuesday (Jun 17) cancelled its rebranded Ahmedabad-London Gatwick service - AI 159 - citing "operational issues". No specific reason has been provided at this time.

Prior to that, an IndiGo flight from Muscat made an emergency landing at Nagpur airport after a bomb threat was received. DCP Nagpur Lohit Matani said that all passengers have been deboarded from flight number 6E 2706. He further added that an investigation is underway and nothing suspicious has been found so far. This comes days after the Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 241 on board.

A series of technical snags and emergency landings of airplanes have emerged after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12. The DNA reports of those killed in the crash are expected today. The plane crashed into the mess building of the BJ Medical College, killing several others.

List of technical issues faced by airlines post Ahmedabad plane crash

1. Earlier today, an Air India flight from San Francisco to Mumbai suffered a technical snag in one of its engines and made an unscheduled stop in Kolkata.

2. On Jun 16, Air India Flight AI315 returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff due to a midair technical issue. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were later rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi.

3. On Jun 16, a major mishap was narrowly averted at Lucknow Airport on Sunday morning when a Saudi Airlines flight carrying Hajj pilgrims developed a technical glitch during landing, with sparks and smoke erupting from the aircraft’s wheel as it touched down on the runway.

4. On Jun 15, a flight from Delhi to Zurich was significantly delayed due to mandatory checks on a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, pushing its arrival close to Switzerland's night curfew window.

5. On Jun 15, a Lufthansa flight en route to Hyderabad was forced to turn back to Frankfurt after a bomb threat led to the denial of landing clearance.

6. On Jun 15, Air India Delhi-Vadodara flight (AI 819) returned to IGI Airport within half an hour of take-off after a suspected snag with the landing gear.

7. On Jun 15, passengers on Air India Express flight IX-1226 from Guwahati to Kolkata endured a 18-hour delay after their aircraft was grounded twice due to a technical snag.

Source: https://www.wionews.com/india-news/...-incident-since-ahmedabad-crash-1750145101587
 

Lone Air India survivor carries coffin of brother killed in crash​


The British man who was the sole survivor of last week's Air India plane crash has helped lay his brother to rest at a funeral in western India.


Vishwashkumar Ramesh's brother Ajay was also on the ill-fated flight but did not survive the tragedy.

A visibly upset Ramesh was one of the pall bearers who carried his brother's coffin to the crematorium in the town of Diu, his arm and face still covered in white bandages. He's spent most of the past five days in hospital.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed seconds after taking off on Thursday from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. At least 270 people were killed, most of them passengers.

Mr Ramesh's mother walked with the coffin in a blue sari along with other mourners, as he held it on his right shoulder.

Several people from the town - which lost 14 other people to the crash - came out for the funeral even as the rain lashed the procession.

No one is clear how Mr Ramesh managed to survive. He even tried to go back to the blazing plane to search for his brother, one of the first responders at the scene told the BBC.

In a new video that emerged earlier this week, ambulance driver Satinder Singh Sandhu is the man seen guiding Mr Ramesh to safety as he walks out of the crash site with flames and thick smoke billowing into the air behind him.

Source: BBC
 
India to decide on overseas analysis of Air India crash flight recorders

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is yet to decide whether flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air India flight that crashed last Thursday will be sent overseas for decoding and analysis.

At least 270 people, most of them passengers, were killed when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in western India.

Some media outlets reported that the black boxes are being sent abroad, but the ministry of civil aviation clarified that no final decision has been made.

The ministry said the AAIB will determine the location for analysis after a "due assessment of technical, safety, and security factors".

Investigators have recovered both sets of Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) - the "black boxes" - from the Boeing 787 crash site.

These combined units, which record flight data and cockpit audio, were found on 13 and 16 June. The aircraft model carries two such sets to aid in thorough analysis.

Data recorders track with high precision the position of gear and flap levers, thrust settings, engine performance, fuel flow and even fire handle activation.

The data in the plane's "black boxes" can be used to reconstruct the flight's final moments and determine the cause of the incident.

However, some media outlets reported that the recorders had been badly damaged in the fire that engulfed the plane after the crash, making it difficult to extract the data in India and that the government was planning to send the recorders to the US.

Captain Kishore Chinta, a former accident investigator with the AAIB, told the BBC one set of recorders could be also sent to the US "to compare the data downloaded in India with that provided to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)".

He said although the new AAIB lab in Delhi was inaugurated in April, "it's unclear whether it is fully operational for EAFR data downloads".

Meanwhile, Air India's chairman has said that one of the engines of the Air India plane that crashed last week was new, while the other was not due for servicing until December.

In an interview with Times Now news channel, N Chandrasekaran said that both engines of the aircraft had "clean" histories.

Separately, the airline said that inspections have been completed on 26 of its 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which have been "cleared for service".

India's aviation regulator had ordered additional safety checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet after the deadly crash as a "preventive measure".

On Thursday, the airline announced that its flights will be reduced on 16 international routes and suspended on three overseas destinations between 21 June and 15 July.

"The reductions arise from the decision to voluntarily undertake enhanced pre-flight safety checks, as well as accommodate additional flight durations arising from airspace closures in the Middle East," the airline said in a statement.

The announcement came a day after the carrier said it would temporarily reduce flights operated with wide-body planes by 15%.

BBC
 
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