Mayday Over

CONTD. FROM FRONT PAGE

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in the rescue operation. “Seat 11A was near the emergency exit, which may have contributed to his survival.

International Passengers, Ground Casualties Feared

The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Among the passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Apart from those on board, officials suspect up to 25 people on the ground — residents of the hostel blocks and staff of the hospital — may also have perished.

Medical Campus in Flames

Eyewitnesses said the crash site resembled a war zone. Multi-storey hostel buildings caught fire, trees were scorched, and dozens of vehicles were reduced to metal frames. The aircraft's nose was seen lodged into a dining hall on the top floor of the nurses’ hostel.

“The plane flew dangerously low and then just disappeared into the buildings,” said local resident Haresh Shah. “It was a terrifying sight.”

Investigation Begins, Black Box Hunt On

The DGCA has launched a full investigation. The hunt is on for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which could offer clues to what went wrong.

The aircraft involved was 11 years old, and both pilots — Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar — were said to be experienced, with over 8,200 and 1,100 flying hours respectively.

No chance to save anyone:Shah

Union minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that the temperature in the Air India plane which crashed in Ahmedabad was so high due to burning fuel that there was no chance to save anyone.

“There was 1.25 lakh litre of fuel inside the plane and it caught heat so it was impossible to save anyone,” Shah told reporters.

The entire nation is in deep shock following the tragedy, he said.

Shah also expressed condolences to relatives of those killed in the accident.