Multiple agencies inspect wreckage of crashed Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad

Multiple agencies inspect wreckage of crashed Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad

Investigative teams from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), reached the crash site of Air India Flight AI-171 on Saturday to examine the debris.

Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) also inspected the wreckage of the ill-fated London-bound aircraft.

Residents of the neighbourhood where the plane crashed recalled their harrowing experience, describing it as feeling like an earthquake or a bomb blast.

Rekha Kshtriya, a local resident for over 13 years, said she was doing her regular chores when she heard a deafening noise. She immediately rushed outside toward the site. She recalled that around 1:30 PM, the sound was so intense it felt like her eardrums would burst. Her house and furniture began to shake violently, and the noise resembled a bomb explosion. Upon stepping outside, she saw wreckage scattered everywhere, the sky filled with black smoke, and tall flames rising from the crash site.

Another resident, Priyanshu, said the entire area was engulfed in smoke and the fire quickly spread from one building to another. He too described it as feeling like an earthquake or a blast.

Bahadur Kshtriya, who lives about 500 metres from the crash site, said he and a few friends, along with security personnel, helped rescue five individuals from the rubble. He noted that the survivors were in extremely critical condition. He added that when they arrived, smoke and fire were everywhere. Near a student mess, they found people shouting for help. With assistance from Army personnel, they managed to pull out five students alive. Later, they found a body buried in the debris in a severely damaged condition.

The AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft, en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. According to the airline, only one of the 242 people on board survived the crash.