Black box of plane found, six bodies handed over to families

The black box of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday was recovered on Friday from the roof of the hostel into which the aircraft had crashed, reported ANI.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, has launched an investigation into the disaster. A team of the National Investigation Agency, along with officials from other central agencies, arrived at the site of the accident during the day, according to The Indian Express.

On Thursday, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which was en route to London’s Gatwick airport from Ahmedabad, crashed just 33 seconds after taking off, killing at least 265 people.

This is being viewed as the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.

There were 242 people aboard the aircraft. One passenger survived with “impact injuries”.

Though the number of people killed on the ground has yet to be ascertained, the police said that 265 bodies had been sent for postmortem. This includes at least four medical students who were killed on the ground when the aircraft crashed into the hostel building of the BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad.

Here is more on this and other top updates:

The black box of the plane was recovered from the rooftop of the BJ Medical College, stated the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, according to ANI. The department added that more than 40 staff members of the state government had joined the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s efforts at the site of the crash. A black box is a small machine that records information about an aircraft during its flight. Data from the device could provide information about what triggered the crash.
The bodies of six persons who died in the crash have been handed over to their families after identification, a police officer was quoted as saying by PTI. “We have started the process of collecting DNA samples of relatives for profiling to identify bodies that are charred beyond recognition,” said Inspector Chirag Gosai. He added that the family members of 215 persons who died had approached the authorities to submit their DNA samples.
While the total number of deaths on the ground due to the crash remains unclear, Gosai said that 265 bodies have been sent for post-mortem. At least four medical students were killed after the aircraft’s collision into the hostel building of the BJ Medical College. While The Indian Express reported that at least 24 persons, including the four students, had died, The Washington Post quoted police officer Vishaka Dabral as saying that at least 28 persons had died at the crash site.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said earlier in the day that the toll will be released after all bodies are identified, reported The Hindu. He added that the process of retrieving the bodies is almost complete.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday ordered enhanced safety checks of all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft in Air India’s fleet. The airline operates 33 such aircraft and the checks will include inspections of fuel systems, engine controls, cabin air compressors, oil systems, hydraulics and flight control system, PTI reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site of the crash on Friday. He also met the injured persons and the lone passenger aboard the flight who survived the crash. “The entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery,” the prime minister wrote on social media. Modi also held a meeting with the Ahmedabad airport authorities.