Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad
Shimla
A day after the deadly Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed killing 241 onboard, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at the Ahmedabad airport to review the situation today. The operation to clear the debris at the crash site which continued overnight is in its last stages, an official told news agency PTI. As of late Thursday, the search was still on for the Air India flight’s black box — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. With the reason for the crash still unclear, the black box retrieval is crucial to better understand the last moments of the London Gatwick-bound flight which crashed shortly after takeoff at the Ahmedabad airport.
How much compensation is expected? After meeting the lone survivor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said DNA tests were being carried out to confirm the identities of the 241 victims. The Tata Group, which owns the airlines, announced Rs 1 crore compensation to each to the kin of victims. Air India will have to pay a compensation of around Rs 1.5 crore, as per the Montreal Convention treaty. The aircraft was insured and the relatives of people who died in the crash are likely to get around Rs 360 crore. Meanwhile, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is now partially operational.
Among the lives lost in the crash: While one person survived, most passengers were Indian, along with 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (68), who was headed to London to meet his daughter, was among the people who lost their lives in the crash. Besides those onboard, at least 24 people, including four medical students, were killed on the ground, as the plane crashed into the hostel building of the B J Medical College in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad. Air India has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information.
