Leaders Pay Tribute as Air India Tragedy Unfolds

Kerala ministers V Sivankutty and GR Anil, alongside CPI (M) General Secretary MA Baby and State Secretary MV Govindan, gathered with other party leaders to pay their respects to Ranjitha, one of the passengers who perished on the ill-fated Air India 171 flight. Ranjitha's mortal remains were brought back to Thiruvananthapuram for the final rites.

A large-scale operation has been in motion to reunite victims with their families. On June 22, DNA samples from 251 victims were successfully identified and handed over to the respective families. Rakesh Joshi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, confirmed that bodies of 245 victims have been returned so far, with the remaining six, who are citizens of the UK, set to be reunited with their families shortly.

The plane crash claimed the lives of 176 Indian citizens, seven Portuguese, 49 British citizens, one Canadian, and 12 non-passengers. Dr. Rakesh Joshi provided crucial details regarding the identification and return of the deceased. The tragic incident occurred on June 12 when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into BJ Medical College's hostel complex in Ahmedabad shortly post-departure from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Tragically, among the passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, whose life was claimed by the crash. In the aftermath, Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson sought to reassure both the public and Air India employees of the continuing safety of the airline's fleet, particularly the Boeing 787 aircraft. Following detailed inspections, Air India remains confident in their aircraft's operational safety standards.

In an official statement, Campbell reiterated, "Our aircraft have been deemed safe by the DGCA after comprehensive inspections of our Boeing 787 fleet. Furthermore, as a precaution, we continue to conduct additional pre-flight checks to guarantee utmost safety. Should any doubt arise, aircrafts will not be cleared for service."

(With inputs from agencies.)