Days after India witnessed a deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad, at least 274 people are reportedly killed in the disaster that involved Air India’s London-bound flight. According to reports, the casualties included the passengers and crew members onboard and local residents on ground.

There were a total of 242 people on the flight, which included 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members. Out of the 242 onboard the flight that crashed seconds after taking off for London Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad on Thursday, only one – an Indian-origin British national – survived the crash.

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also one of the passengers who died in the Air India plane crash.

The aircraft lost altitude soon after taking off at around 1.30 pm. It crashed into the residential quarters of the medical college before going up in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke up in the air.

The ground casualties are believed to include medical students and local residents from the Meghaninagar neighbourhood.

The aircraft’s black box,  a critical tool in uncovering what led to the disaster, was recovered on Thursday night. Efforts are ongoing to locate the second black box and the digital video recorder (DVR), which could provide vital clues.

Central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), are investigating the case and visited the site on Friday. Although foul play has not been ruled out, investigators remain focused on analysing flight data to know the exact cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday announced that a high-level multi-disciplinary committee will be formed to examine the causes behind the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171.

The panel will assess the circumstances leading to the crash and evaluate existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines currently in place.

Source: News18