Plane crash: British envoy says UK, India working together to establish facts, meets PM Modi

Ahmedabad/New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad on Friday and shared condolences on behalf of her country in the face of the tragic plane crash a day ago and underlined that the UK and India are "working together" to establish facts linked with the accident.

The London-bound Air India flight, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and burst into a ball of fire on Thursday moments after takeoff.

Air India has confirmed that 241 people, including 52 British nationals who were on board the AI171 flight, were killed in the crash. One person, a British citizen, has survived and is currently undergoing treatment for injuries sustained during the accident.

Overall, at least 265 people, including some on the ground, were killed in the tragedy after the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College complex in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area.

Talking to PTI in Ahmedabad, Cameron said, "We have offered consular support to the sole survivor".

"I have been here since yesterday, visiting the crash site, visiting the hospital, meeting Prime Minister Modi, meeting the first responders..working tirelessly for last 24 hours," she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the scene of the crash and met the injured at the Ahmedabad civil hospital. He spent around 20 minutes at the crash site.

Asked about her meeting with the PM, she said, "I passed condolence from His Majesty the King and the Queen, from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and from our Foreign Secretary, all of whom are really shocked by what they have seen, and want to offer support." Besides 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were on board the flight that crashed near the Ahmedabad airport.

"My priority here, at the British Deputy High Commission in Ahmedabad, is to make sure British nationals and their families get the support they need. And, that is why we have 24x7 hotlines for people and their families to reach out," the UK envoy added.

In the early hours of Friday, Cameron posted on X that she and her team have "visited the crash site" and hospital in Ahmedabad and also shared consular helpline details.

"Colleagues in UK & India are working around the clock to gather information and support British nationals affected," she said.

Later, in another post on X, Cameron said, "I met with Prime Minister @narendramodi this morning. We shared condolences in the face of this tragic accident, and I offered my thanks for the work of tireless first responders here in Ahmedabad." "The UK and India are working together to establish the facts. We stand ready to support the families and friends of affected British Nationals - please consult our Travel Advice for updates and contact us on the 24/7 consular helpline: +91 (11) 24192100 (in India) +44 (0) 20 7008 5000 (in the UK)," the British High Commissioner wrote.

Investigators on Friday recovered a black box of the fateful flight.

"My thought and prayers are with everybody affected by this crash, particulary those who had loved ones either on the plane or on the ground. But, also it is heartwarming to see the response from both UK and Indian authorities as they are coming together to this crash," Cameron said.

The British national flag flew at half-mast at the British High Commission in Delhi to mourn the loss of lives in the plane crash.

The British High Commission in India on Thursday said it was working with local authorities to urgently establish facts about the plane crash and provide support.

In its post, the High Commission also shared a link to its travel advisory.

On Friday, she also visited Akshardham Temple in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar.

"It was a sad privilege to offer my prayers at Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar today. My thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of all those impacted by the devastating plane crash that happened yesterday, particularly communities here in Gujarat and back in the UK," Cameron said in another X post. PTI PD/KND AMJ AMJ AMJ