A day after the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, India is considering grounding the Boeing 787-8 fleet pending a comprehensive investigation, NDTV reported Friday. This marks the first major crash involving the Dreamliner model, which had previously maintained a solid safety record.
Authorities are intensively searching for evidence at the Meghaninagar crash site, located just outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Investigators are combing through the wreckage of the Air India flight that was en route to London with 242 people onboard, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
The aircraft crashed into residential quarters belonging to BJ Medical College just 33 seconds after takeoff, devastating nearby buildings and causing widespread fatalities.
Black Box, DVR Found in Wreckage
Two police sources confirmed to Reuters that investigators recovered one of the aircraft’s black boxes from the crash site. A black box contains a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder, which are crucial for understanding the events leading up to the disaster.
#WATCH | Gujarat ATS recovered a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from the debris of the Air India plane that crashed yesterday in Ahmedabad.
An ATS personnel says, “It’s a DVR, which we have recovered from the debris. The FSL team will come here soon.” pic.twitter.com/zZg9L4kptY
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025
Additionally, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) retrieved a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from the debris. An ATS officer told ANI, “It’s a DVR, which we have recovered from the debris. The FSL team will come here soon.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the lone survivor, Ramesh Vishwaskumar, at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, suffered serious injuries but managed to escape the burning aircraft. He is currently under critical medical care.
PM Modi Mourns Death of Vijay Rupani
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims. On Friday, PM Modi met Rupani’s grieving family and paid tribute to his long-time political colleague.
Met the family of Shri Vijaybhai Rupani Ji.
It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times. Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed… pic.twitter.com/KbmDsKtARG
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
“It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times,” Modi wrote on X.
He added, “Rising up the ranks, he held various responsibilities in the Organisation and went on to serve diligently as Gujarat’s Chief Minister.”
