Temperature in Air India plane soared to high level because of burning fuel, chance of saving anyone was slim: Amit Shah

Amit Shah visits crash site in Ahmedabad

Home Minister Amit Shah said that the temperature inside the Air India plane that crashed soared to a high level because of the burning fuel. Shah added that because of such a soar in the temperature, the chance of saving anyone aboard the plane was slim.

The Home Minister visited the crash site earlier today. He also met with the only survivor of the crash, who is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. For now, there are no other known survivors from the tragic event.

"This afternoon, Air India flight AI-171 crashed and many passengers are feared dead. The entire nation is grieving and is standing together with the bereaved families... The central government received information within 10 minutes of the accident. I contacted the Gujarat Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Civil Aviation Minister. The PM also called within no time. All the central and state government departments are carrying out the rescue operation," Shah said, adding, "There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members. There is some good news for one survivor. The death toll will be announced after DNA verification. I met the one survivor... Every department is carrying out the rescue operations in coordination."

"The plane carried almost 1,25,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone... I visited the crash site. The retrieval of the dead bodies is almost complete. DNA samples of the family members are being collected. The family members in foreign countries are also informed. Around 1000 DNA tests will be done... The DNA samples of the dead bodies have also been collected... The bodies will be handed over after the DNA tests... In the review meeting, every aspect was discussed. The Aviation Minister has instructed that the investigation be carried out rapidly," the Home Minister further said.

Hours after the crash, latest visuals have surfaced from the crash site in Ahmedabad, showing the extent of damage that has occurred. The plane flew right into the mess building of the BJ Medical College and the visuals showed wreckage of the plane in the building.

Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad

A total of 242 people, including 10 crew members, were onboard the flight, which took off from the Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday afternoon. A few minutes into the flight, the pilots reportedly sent a Mayday call to the ATC. However, the ATC was unable to contact the plane after that - following which, the crash took place.

Shortly after the crash, Air India issued a statement. "The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, 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.

"Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with a vertical speed of -475 feet per minute," Flightradar24 said in a post.