 "Ahmedabad plane mishap: Govt begins inquiry into Air India crash; UK to join probe")
India has launched an official investigation into the Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad that killed 241 passengers and crew on board the flight on Thursday afternoon. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the probe will be led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and conducted in accordance with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Naidu said in a statement, “Following the tragic incident in Ahmedabad, a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, in line with international protocols set by ICAO."
One person survived the Ahmedabad plane crash. The UK-bound flight had 230 passengers and 12 crew as the Air India 787 Dreamliner crashed at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after taking off. The plane was bound for London’s Gatwick Airport. Videos showed the aircraft hit a building, a medical college, and burst into a fireball.
Govt to form expert panel
In addition to the AAIB-led investigation, the government is establishing a high-level committee comprising experts from various fields. This multidisciplinary panel will thoroughly examine the circumstances of the crash and propose measures to strengthen aviation safety.
Naidu said, “The committee will work to strengthen aviation safety and prevent such incidents in future.”
UK to send probe team
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meanwhile, has announced that his government will send an investigation team to India to assist with the inquiry and offer support to families of British nationals affected by the fatal crash.
Among the victims of the plane crash were 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” Starmer said on X.
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