The Supreme Court Bar Association expressed grief over the Ahmedabad air tragedy, stating it was “deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash.” It extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for peace.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Bar Association expressed its condolences on Thursday to the families affected by the Ahmedabad plane crash.
The SC Bar Association stated,
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash that occurred today in Ahmadabad, Gujarat. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, including the medical students & staff who tragically lost their lives.”
They continued,
“We stand in solidarity with all those affected by this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families. May their families find strength and courage in this difficult time.”
The incident involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft, carrying 242 individuals, including 12 crew members, went down into a doctor’s hostel situated just outside the airport perimeter.
Jaipal Singh Rathore, Joint Commissioner of Police in Ahmedabad, reported,
“After the takeoff, the plane crashed here and after a preliminary enquiry, we got to know that the … plane crashed into a building, which is a doctors’ hostel.”
Air India confirmed that flight AI171, which was headed from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, experienced an accident shortly after takeoff at 13:38 IST.
The airline stated,
“Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident,”
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India flight AI 171 took off at 1:39 p.m. local time.
Just five minutes later, it crashed into a residential locality known as Meghani Nagar. The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar as the co-pilot.
Officials reported seeing heavy black smoke at the crash site. Rescue and relief operations are currently underway, with multiple agencies on-site to assist survivors and investigate the cause of the accident.
There were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.
The airline confirmed that the flight had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, and 1 Canadian national.
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