Ahmedabad Air India crash: How 1.25 lakh litre fuel and 1,000°C temperature made chances of survival slim

At least 265 bodies were recovered by midnight in the deadly Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad. These included students at the hostel building into which the AI 171 crashed. Authorities said the rescue operation at the crash site has officially been completed.

It was reported that the temperature in and around the crashed Air India plane reached as high as 1,000 degree Celsius, making the chance of survival slim. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carried 1.25 lakh litre fuel and this meant that there was no opportunity to save lives.

Shah held a high-level meeting with top officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate with the state government.

Only one passenger, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from seat 11A survived the crash while 229 remaining passengers and 12 crew members died in the crash. These included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The flight was bound to London's Gatwick Airport and took off from Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm on Thursday. Among the deceased passengers was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

AI 171 was piloted by captain Sumeet Sabharwal who had a total of 8,200 fly hours to his credit and first officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 fly hours.

The official death toll is yet to be declared as DNA tests are pending. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal probe in line with international protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Air India has set up a dedicated hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide information to relatives of the passengers.

India