Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government Saturday said it has established contact with relatives of eleven foreign nationals who died after the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff.
The government was until now struggling to establish contact with them, Alok Pandey, relief commissioner, told reporters at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The government is coordinating with the British High Commission to ensure that the process for foreign nationals to identify the body of their loved ones is smooth.
“There are 11 foreign nationals with whom we weren’t able to connect, with whom we have established contact. They will be in Ahmedabad by tomorrow…they should all be here in two days. When they come, we will extend every support possible,” Pandey said.
He said the government has set up a dedicated team led by an officer of deputy collector rank to coordinate with the foreign nationals when they arrive in Ahmedabad.
“We are in touch with the deputy British consulate general also. We have established contact with her. Our officials are continuously in touch with them. Air India authorities and government of India are also continuously in touch with them,” Pandey said.
An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood within minutes of taking off Thursday afternoon. The flight was carrying 242 people, including crew members. All but one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, died in the crash. The flight had 53 British passengers, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian—most of whom were of Indian origin.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: 11 DNA matches 48 hrs after Air India crash: Process of releasing victims’ bodies to families begins