Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Became Impossible To Save Anyone As Fuel Blaze Intensity Was Too High, Says Amit Shah

Ahmedabad: Union Home minister Amit Shah, who rushed to Ahmedabad on Thursday to take stock of the situation after the fatal plane crash, said the temperature in the Air India plane which crashed after take-off was so high due to burning fuel that there was no chance of survival or saving anyone. Shah described the incident as a "national tragedy that plunged the entire country into mourning".

Speaking to media after visiting the crash site and meeting the injured at the hospital, Shah extended condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. "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...I must say that an accident is, by nature, unpredictable and cannot always be prevented. However, the true test of an administration's alertness comes during such unfortunate incidents," the Home Minister said.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, he assured victims' families that the government will provide all necessary support during this time of sorrow.

The home minister highlighted that the blaze erupted with such high intensity after the plane crash that there was hardly any opportunity to save anything. "I visited the crash site...The plane carried almost 1,25,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone... The blaze erupted with such intensity after the plane went down that there was no opportunity to save anything. The wreckage was quickly engulfed, making immediate rescue efforts extremely difficult..."

"DNA samples of the family members are being collected. The family members in foreign countries have also been reached out. Once they arrive in India, their DNA samples will also be collected. Nearly 1000 DNA samples are going to be collected in Gujarat only. The state has the capacity to conduct all these tests. The DNA samples of the dead bodies have also been collected... The bodies will be handed over to respective families after confirmation of DNA report," said Shah, after chairing a high-level review meeting with officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Gujarat government to oversee rescue operations and coordinate investigations.

Air India has confirmed that 241 of the 242 aboard the London-bound flight have lost their lives in this tragic incident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM IST carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew, crashed shortly after take-off. The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals. The sole survivor, who is under treatment at the hospital, is a British national of Indian origin.

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