‘He was first officer on that flight’: Vikrant Massey mourns demise of his cousin Clive Kunder in Air India plane crash

AHMEDABAD: Actor Vikrant Massey lost his cousin, Clive Kunder, in the tragic Air India plane crash that occurred on Thursday afternoon.

In an Instagram post, Vikrant offered condolences to the victims and their families, revealing Clive was the first officer on “that fateful” AI171 flight, which crashed minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

“My heart breaks for the families & loved ones of the ones who lost their lives in the unimaginably tragic air crash in Ahmedabad today,” he posted.

“It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, lost his son, Clive Kunder, who was the 1st officer operating on that fateful flight. May God give strength to you and your family, uncle, and to all deeply affected,” he expressed grief.

After learning about the news, many members of the Indian film fraternity took to their respective social media handles to offer condolences to the victims and their families. A while ago, actor Salman Khan expressed grief over the incident, sending his heartfelt prayers to the affected people.

In a post on Instagram, he wrote, “Deeply saddened to hear about the Ahmedabad plane crash… heartfelt prayers for the families of the passengers, crew and all those affected.”

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan also offered condolences and prayers for the victims and their families.

In a post on X, SRK expressed, “Absolutely heartbroken with the news about the crash in Ahmedabad… my prayers for the victims, their families and all affected.”

Aamir reacted to the Air India crash via a post on the “Aamir Khan Productions” Instagram account.

In the message, his team expressed grief and said they stand in solidarity with everyone.

The note read, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash that occurred today. At this moment of profound loss, our thoughts and condolences are with the families of those affected. We stand in solidarity with the individuals, communities, and responders impacted by this devastating event. Stay strong India. Team AKP.”

Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut said, “The news of the Ahmedabad plane crash is extremely tragic and painful. I pray to God for everyone’s safety, may God provide strength to all affected families in this hour of crisis.”

“Shocked and speechless at the Air India crash. Only prayers at this time, “Akshay Kumar posted on X. The Air India plane from Ahmedabad to London with 242 passengers crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.

According to an Air India statement, the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171, departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm IST with 242 people on board, including crew.

“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” the airline said in a statement.

The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an LTC with 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience, the official said.

As per Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Runway 23 at 1339 IST (0809 UTC). It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC.”Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the official added.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deployed around 150 personnel to assist in the ongoing rescue and relief operations following the crash.

According to a statement by the CRPF, troops from the 100 Battalion of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), along with personnel from the CRPF’s Group Centre in Gandhinagar, have been sent to the crash site to support efforts on the ground.

The Gujarat government has also mobilised three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 90 personnel from Gandhinagar, to assist in rescue operations. (ANI)