Police file accidental death case in Ahmedabad plane crash; agencies launch probe

Ahmedabad, Jun 13 (PTI) The Ahmedabad city police have registered a case of accidental death in the Air India plane crash incident that claimed the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, officials said on Friday.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already launched a formal investigation into the incident.

Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other central agencies on Friday visited the plane crash site in Meghaninagar area, sources said.

The London-bound Air India flight - Boeing 787 Dreamliner - with 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board crashed into a medical college complex in the city, moments after taking off from the airport on Thursday afternoon.

The crash site, called 'Old IGP Campus', houses residential quarters of MBBS students and resident doctors of BJ Medical College affiliated to the Civil Hospital, which is close to the crash site.

As per the accidental death report filed by the Meghaninagar police station on Thursday evening, they received the information about the crash and the resultant fire at around 1.44 pm on Thursday.

During the firefighting operation, the police found that the majority of the passengers as well as crew members were charred to death and their bodies taken to civil hospital in ambulances, said the police report, adding that people living in doctors' residence also lost their lives in the crash.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dhrumit Gandhi on Friday said the search and rescue operation concluded in the morning.

"Our search and rescue operation came to an end in the morning and the site has been handed over to forensic experts as well as civil aviation officials. A team of firemen, equipped with tools such as metal cutters, are accompanying them to help them in clearing the debris for the purpose of the probe," he said. PTI PJT PD NP