New Delhi: The Indian Army has deployed nearly 130 personnel to support ongoing rescue and relief operations after the London-bound Air India aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Thursday. The Army said that its teams are assisting civil administration efforts under the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mandate.
“The response includes engineering teams with JCBs for clearing debris, medical teams with doctors and paramedics, Quick Action Teams (QATs), fire-fighting units with extinguishers and water bowsers, as well as provost staff for site security and crowd management,” it said in a statement. Military Hospital has been placed on alert, it added.
“Teams are working in close coordination with local authorities. Our priority is rescue, medical aid and securing the crash site,” an official told ThePrint.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also deployed approximately 150 personnel to support rescue and relief operations following the crash. News agency ANI quoted a CRPF statement as saying, “troops from the 100 Battalion of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and personnel from the CRPF’s Group Centre in Gandhinagar have been mobilised to assist with on-ground efforts at the crash site.”
A top official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier told ThePrint that most of the 242 people aboard the flight are feared dead.
The aircraft, AI171, was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB and serial number 36279.
According to Flightradar24, which tracks live flight data globally, the aircraft lost signal at 10:08 am (GMT+1), at an altitude of just 625 feet, less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad International Airport. The flight was scheduled to land at London Gatwick Airport at 6:25 pm (GMT+1).
TATA Group which took over Air India in January 2022 took to X to confirm the incident through a statement by its chairman, N. Chandrasekaran. “At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and provide all necessary support and care to those impacted,” he said.
Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, also released a statement Thursday, saying it is in contact with Air India and stands “ready to support them”. “Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders, and all affected,” the company added.
According to the Boeing website, the 787-8 Dreamliner can carry up to 248 passengers, has a wingspan of 60 metres and a range of over 13,500 km. The aircraft operates on over 425 non-stop global routes, many of which had never been served before its induction.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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