Tragedy in India: Community Mourns as Investigation into Plane Crash Continues
A somber gathering of around 100 people took place outside the High Commission of India in London on Sunday, as the Indian community came together to pay their respects to the victims of the recent plane crash. Many attendees laid candles in memory of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident. According to a community leader, who wished to remain anonymous, they had been in touch with a family who had flown to India to identify the remains of their loved ones and were currently waiting in hospital for the results of DNA matching.
The community leader, speaking to the BBC, revealed that many people at the gathering were seeking answers on how and why the incident could have occurred. The leader stated, "The community is in shock, and everyone is trying to make sense of this tragedy. We want to know what happened and how it could have been prevented." The BBC has been informed that India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry into the cause of the crash, with assistance from teams from the US and UK.
The investigation received a significant boost on Friday with the discovery of the black box at the site of the crash. India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, stated that the black box would "significantly aid the inquiry" into the disaster. The Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, which was 11 years old and had operated 25 flights from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick in the past two years, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24, crashed just 59 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The plane lost altitude and crashed into a building used as doctors’ accommodation at the BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. The President of the Junior Doctors’ Association of the college, Dr Dhaval Gameti, confirmed to the BBC on Saturday that the hospital had received the bodies of 270 victims, with 241 believed to be passengers and crew of Flight AI171. Furthermore, more than thirty victims have been formally identified using DNA samples provided by relatives.
In response to the crash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), ordered additional safety checks on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleet, describing it as a "preventive measure". The BBC understands that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site of the plane crash on Friday, spending around 20 minutes walking around the area. He also visited the hospital to meet some of those injured in the disaster, including the sole plane survivor Vishwashkumar Ramesh, later stating that "the entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery".
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also visited the crash site on Friday, describing the visit as "deeply moving". The BBC will continue to provide updates on this developing story as more information becomes available. The incident has sent shockwaves around the world, and the Indian community in London is coming to terms with the tragedy. As the investigation continues, the focus will remain on uncovering the cause of the crash and ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.
The BBC will be providing in-depth coverage of this story, and this article will be updated as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.
