Environment Minister Eshwar Khande condoles loss of lives in Ahmedabad plane crash

KALABURAGI: Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday expressed condolences to the families of the those who lost their lives in AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad a day earlier and termed the incident as “painful”.

“It is a painful incident. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to God that the people who passed away may their souls rest in peace, and their families get the strength to bear their sad demise”, Khandre said while speaking to the media.

#WATCH | #AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Kalaburagi | Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre says, “It is a painful incident. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray to God that the people who passed away may their souls rest in peace, and their families get the… pic.twitter.com/SRfKyFq9L8

— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla also expressed deep sorrow over the plane crash. He further stated that several people from Rajasthan were among the victims.

Speaking to reporters, Birla said, “The whole country is saddened and stands by the families of the deceased. Several people from Rajasthan have also died in this accident. We stand by their families.”The AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London’s Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash, claiming the lives of 241 people on board the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is a division of the Ministry of Civil Aviation tasked with probing aircraft accidents in India.

A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed 241 people onboard, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met with Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the lone person to survive the crash. The Prime Minister also met with others admitted to the same hospital with injuries sustained. (ANI)