A week after the devastating Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad claimed 270 lives, investigators on Thursday continued to sift for clues to ascertain the cause, while the government said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will decide where to decode the black box of the ill-fated Dreamliner.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board plunged into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.39 pm on June 12.A multi-disciplinary team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has commenced an investigation into the crash, the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement.
"A combined unit of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has been recovered from the crash site on June 13 and another set was found on June 16. This model of aircraft has two black box sets," it said.The AAIB investigation is progressing steadily with all necessary support from local authorities and agencies, the ministry said, adding that key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway.
"It has been reported in certain media outlets that the CVR/DFDR (black box) from the ill-fated AI171 flight is being sent abroad for retrieval and analysis...The decision regarding the location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by the AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations," the statement said.
The Gujarat government has clarified that it has no role in the investigation. Local firemen are helping forensic and aviation experts in their ongoing probe at the crash site, said Ahmedabad's Additional Chief Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia.After the aircraft smashed into the medical hostel complex, its tail fin got stuck on top of the hostel canteen's damaged building and it was brought to the ground using cranes on June 14, two days after the accident, said Khadia.
"The debris, including the tail fin, is still lying at the site. There are no orders on moving the rubble to some other place," he said.
Altogether 215 victims have been identified so far through DNA matching, while 198 bodies handed over to their families, an official said.Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or severely damaged.The victims whose bodies have been handed over included 149 Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and a Canadian. The mortal remains of seven persons who died on the ground have also been handed over to their relatives.
When the Dreamliner plunged into the medical college residential complex, Manisha Kachhadiya and her 8-month-old son Dhyaansh were in one of the buildings affected by the crash and sustained burn injuries.
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