AIR INDIA PLANE CRASHES SECONDS AFTER TAKE-OFF
An Air India plane took off from Ahmedabad in India on its way to Gatwick in London. Seconds after it took off, the Boeing Dreamliner crashed into a medical hostel.
There were 242 people on board. Air India said there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the flight.
It’s been confirmed that the pilot’s final words were words of distress and a call for help: “Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”
The BBC confirmed that a doctor told the news broadcaster that hospitals are relying on DNA matching from families to identify the victims, as relatives wait anxiously for news.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline’s “advanced team of nearly 100 caregivers and 40 engineering staff has arrived in Ahmedabad. The technical team is helping at the site and caregivers are providing support to families”.
While authorities are struggling to identify bodies, it’s been confirmed that eight people on the ground have died. They haven’t been identified yet.
The airline has offered to cover the medical expenses of the students injured inside the hostel. “We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured.”
Image credit: The Straits Times