Patna (Bihar) [India], June 13 : Former Union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy condoled the Air India flight crash near Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport on Thursday.
Rudy highlighted how the plane's model, Boeing's 787-8 Dreamliner, is known for efficiency, and he cannot comment on the cause before an investigation is completed..
"This is very sad and unfortunate. But I am not an expert. It will be very difficult to say what the cause of the accident was. It can be clear only after an investigation. This was a 787 Dreamliner aircraft which is considered a very efficient aircraft. It can easily fly for 12-14 hours after taking off," the former union minister told reporters here.
"The flight was going from Ahmedabad to London. So, the plane must have 80-90 tons of fuel...I can't comment on the cause of the accident, but only after an investigation can it be clear. This is very sad and unusual," he added.
Earlier, Rudy condoled the demise of people in the crash in a post on X.
"The tragedy of the plane crash in Ahmedabad has deeply saddened my heart. This pain is beyond words. My condolences are with all the passengers, crew and their families. I pray to God to give strength to the bereaved families and speedy recovery to the injured," the former union minister wrote.
Earlier today, Rajasthan Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa expressed grief over the incident, and that "all central and state activities have been stopped."
"This is the first time such a thing has happened and the loss is unbearable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have reached the spot. The injured will be given relief... All state and central activities have been stopped... May the deceased rest in peace," Bairwa said.
Till now, one survivor has been found in the deadly crash of an Air India plane carrying 242 people, after it rammed into a nearby doctors' hostel shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, a senior police officer said.
Speaking to ANI on a phone call, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik says, "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He has been in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area."
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
"After the takeoff, the plane crashed here and after a preliminary enquiry, we got to know that the ... plane crashed into a building, which is a doctors' hostel," Jaipal Singh Rathore, Joint Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, told reporters.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the doctors' hostel near the airport perimeter.
Air India said that among the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national.
As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC. Immediately after departure, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. The official said that heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.