Air India crash live updates: Plane bound for London carrying 242 people crashes in Ahmedabad
An Air India flight heading to London has crashed in Ahmedabad with 242 people on board.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
7/7 London bombings: One man reflects 20 years on
Twenty years ago, a series of suicide bombings struck London's public transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. In his own words, Steven Desborough recounts his experience of the attack - and how he's coped since.I was sitting down in the last was a loud bang, a loud screech, then a big white flash which ended up being the explosion as we passed through it. Then the train came to a screeching about 10 minutes we sat in the carriage. It was eerily quiet. I was expecting all this rush and commotion going on, but that wasn't always the case.I had basic first-aid training, but there were people there I couldn't help. I knew I needed to speak to them and try and reassure them, to stop them from going into shock and to try and take their attention away from what had gone on just a few yards away.I tried to reassure people and let them know everything was going to be OK, that we'll do this were a couple of people I spoke to, and we just tried to have a conversation. I held a young lady in my arms. She later passed away. I spoke to some people and said: "Oh, we will get a coffee after this." And how a lady's hair still looked nice, just to try and keep it normal. But we all knew it wasn't. As we were being escorted off, we went through the driver's cab at the back then down some stairs with somebody from the London Underground of taking us to Liverpool Street, they made us walk up to Aldgate, which meant we had to walk down the side of the carriages and passed the one that was bombed. I don't feel I did anything out of the ordinary. I did what I could, but I wish I could have done more. I did my best on the day.I think about the people who died often. A lot of the people there were about my age, they had their whole lives in front of are times where I am out and about and I'm enjoying myself. I just look up and give them a thought: what would they have done? How would they have flourished going forward?It's just a sad loss, it really is, for all those people, they had so much in front of them. It was ripped away from them without any choice, without any knowing of it, in such a horrific way. I try and separate that day, the actual incident, into three separate categories: first, surviving the bombing, I was fortunate enough, I was so lucky; then what happened in the carriage, dealing with and getting my head around that; then what happened afterwards and the responsibilities you still isn't just the responsibility that I had in the carriage, it's what happens with regards to the families that were involved and making sure the truth comes best therapy I had was my family and friends, they have been wonderful. They gave me the time and the space, they've been the best was hard at first. I know people I've come across that didn't know how to deal with me and and rightly so, because I didn't know how to deal with it myself, so I can't expect anyone else to know how to deal with me. Those people that were there at the time, they were wonderful and they probably don't even realise it either. I now approach life in a different way. There's been times where maybe I have been more cautious with certain things but then the majority of the time, it's about going out and enjoying it, just appreciating every have been times where things pop up that nobody would realise; there might be a smell, or there might be a sound, or just it takes you back there and have to deal with no point in trying to hide in the corner or let things get the better of you, you've just got to struggle on, and it was a a lot easier now. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's easier has changed me. I think it's changed me for the better. It's made me more patient, more empathetic. But it hasn't defined make sure those people that passed away - they were civilians going about their daily lives - are remembered. Let's not forget their forward, just try and be kind to get so wound up in themselves so much kind, have some empathy and a bit of get a lot of understanding from people, but just by talking to them you get a different aspect on life.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Dad, 30, killed in plane crash leaving behind heartbroken wife and unborn baby - just months after family tragedy
The victim of a deadly plane crash in Massachusetts has been identified as a young but experienced pilot who was about to become a father. MIT scientist Geoffrey Andrews, 30, was operating a four-seater single-engine aircraft when it plummeted to the ground just outside of Boston on Thursday. His family named him as the pilot in a GoFundMe page for his pregnant wife - while revealing that he had been her rock after she lost her mother just months before. An unidentified man was also on board the plane, and Andrews' fundraiser said they were praying for the passenger as he remains in a serious condition in hospital. 'Geoffrey's family, friends, and his beloved wife Gentry are devastated and heartbroken at his untimely death Thursday morning when the plane he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff in Beverly, Massachusetts,' the fundraiser reads. 'We thank the investigators who we trust will conduct a thorough investigation into what caused this catastrophic loss of life. 'We also pray for his passenger in the plane and are sending his loved ones strength through this difficult time.' The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed a single-engine Mooney M20F aircraft hit the ground on Sam Fonzo Drive in Beverly, on the north-east outskirts of Boston, just before 9am on Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed a single-engine Mooney M20F aircraft hit the ground on Sam Fonzo Drive in Beverly, on the north-east outskirts of Boston, just before 9am on Thursday NTSB investigators told the Daily Mail a witness reported seeing 'black smoke come from the belly of the plane' before it went down, possibly indicating engine failure. Andrews' wife, Gentry, who is six months pregnant, said she believed his plane 'experienced a serious engine issue' shortly after takeoff from Beverly Airport. 'Per witnesses in the tower his response was textbook, but the plane still went down and he died on impact,' she wrote as part of a heartbreaking Instagram tribute to her beloved partner. 'Ever the gentleman, he did his best to save the life of his passenger.' Gentry said Andrews had been flying to upstate New York to enjoy one last camping trip before the birth of their baby daughter in three months' time. 'He was so excited to become a father and told me so every day,' she wrote. Andrews' death marks a second tragedy for Gentry, after her mother, Marcia, passed away months before. His family said in their fundraiser that he had been the 'biggest support system' for her. They remembered him as a 'charismatic, beautiful soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and always had a kind word for others'. NTSB investigators told the Daily Mail a witness reported seeing 'black smoke come from the belly of the plane' before it went down, possibly indicating engine failure 'He was so excited about the upcoming birth of their baby,' the GoFundMe page reads. 'He was almost always seen sporting a bow tie and a smile. 'He loved cooking, baking, nature, was a talented amateur photographer and was oddly passionate about scuba diving. 'He loved music, often played piano, and sang in choirs for much of his life including with Gentry.' Andrews was also passionate about aerospace engineering and he dreamed of becoming an astronaut one day. He was a staff scientist at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory and a doctoral graduate of Purdue University, and Lehigh University where he was a visiting lecturer. His family said he 'loved flying, even moonlighting as a ferry pilot to build hours and experience when he was a graduate student'. 'He flew aerobatics for several years, volunteered as a glider pilot, and was working toward his CFI to be able to teach others about the joy of flight,' their page adds. Chief John G. LeLacheur and Fire Chief Peter K. O'Connor said Beverly Police and Fire Departments responded to the crash at around 9am on Thursday. When they arrived, first responders found two people trapped inside the four-seater piston aircraft, which had suffered 'significant damage'. 'The plane appeared to be resting against a utility pole,' Beverly Police and Fire Departments said in a joint statement released on Thursday. 'Two men were inside the plane, a pilot and a passenger. 'One occupant was pronounced dead on scene, and the other man was transported via medical helicopter to a hospital with serious injuries. 'At this time, there have been no reports of any ground injuries or additional property damage in the area.' Images from the scene showed the plane laying crumpled against a utility pole, across a street surrounded by leafy woodland on either side. It appears to be upright with the wings badly damaged. The main body of the aircraft was partially destroyed by the impact.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British nationals' remains are among the unidentified more than a week after Air India crash as death toll continues to climb
The remains of four UK nationals from doomed Air India flight 171 have yet to be identified, more than a week after the crash. There were 53 Britons onboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after taking off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on June 12. The remains of 26 victims have so far been flown to their families, including 10 to the United Kingdom. All but one of the 242 people on board flight 171 were killed when the Air India plane smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad, where at least 38 more died. Such was the level of destruction that more than two dozen believed killed remain unidentified 10 days after the jet came down. So far more than 250 people killed in an India plane crash have been identified through DNA testing, a hospital official said Sunday as specialists near a final toll for one of the worst air disasters in decades. 'The results of the DNA sample matches for 251 have arrived,' said Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent at Ahmedabad's civil hospital. The remains of 245 of them have been handed to relatives and include 176 Indians, 49 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 identified publicly only as non-passengers. 'In my opinion, the DNA matching process will soon be completed,' Joshi said in a video message. 'We are with the remaining families who will be informed by phone as soon as possible,' he added. Air India said Thursday the plane was 'well-maintained' and that the pilots were accomplished flyers. Investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for analysis, as they attempt to find out what caused the London-bound jet to hurtle to the ground moments after takeoff. British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40 from Leicester, was named as the sole survivor of the crash. He was discharged from hospital to be a pallbearer at the funeral of his brother. Survivor Vishwash's brother Ajaykumar accompanied him on the flight but was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J and sadly perished in the explosion Relations of the 53 Britons on board have since paid tribute to the nurses, teachers, lovers, parents, children and friends whose lives were tragically cut short last week. Vishwash's brother Ajaykumar who accompanied him on the flight and was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J, but sadly perished Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek and husband Jamie lived in London and ran a wellness and healthy lifestyle company. The couple posted a haunting video of themselves at the airport waiting to board the doomed Gatwick-bound Air India flight that crashed moments after it took off. The couple are believed to have been in India for around two weeks and in a series of social media posts captured the happy time they had. This included getting henna tattoos, shopping for fine fabrics and other gifts and driving through chaotic traffic in a tuk-tuk. They arrived in Ahmedabad just a day before flying back with Fiongal posting in a video: 'So, it's our last night in India and we've had a magical experience. 'Some mind-blowing things have happened. We are going to put all this together and create a vlog. It's my first ever vlog about the whole trip and we want to share it.' Jamie revealed what a memorable trip they had both had. He beamed: 'We have been on quite a journey and then spending our last night here in this beautiful hotel, it's really been great way to round off the trip.' Other victims include Arjun Patoliya, from Edgeware in London, who had travelled to India to fulfil his late wife's final wishes, scattering her ashes in a river in the village where they both grew up. Bharatiben Patel, known as Bharti, 43, had died just three weeks before the crash. Their two children, aged four and eight, were left orphaned after Mr Patoliya was killed. Mr Patoliya had studied at Liverpool John Moores University and worked as a furniture designer. Witnesses of the deadly crash could do nothing but watch in horror as a fireball, fuelled by enough kerosene to carry a plane from the Indian city of Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on a non-stop nine hour and 50 minute journey, towered above them. As plumes of acrid, black smoke billowed above Ahmedabad, horror spread across the city after people realised that a plane had crashed into the dense residential area of Meghani Naga, less than a minute after taking off from a nearby airport. That horror quickly spread around the world, with the crash making headlines globally.
