Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad: Black box recovered

It will help in the further investigation of the deadly crash, which left 241 people dead.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu told India Today, "The Flight Data Recorder (Black Box) has been recovered within 28 hours from the accident site in Ahmedabad by AAIB. This marks an important step forward in the investigation. This will significantly aid the enquiry into the incident."

The device was recovered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team on the rooftop of the resident doctors' hostel building that the flight hit in Ahmedabad, sources told the news channel.

Earlier in the day, Indian PM Narendra Modi visited the crash site.

After visiting the site, Modi wrote on X: "Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy."

He also met those people who were injured in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London with 242 people onboard, crashed immediately after it took off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, leaving 241 people dead.

One person, the passenger of seat No. 11A,  survived the crash miraculously, the Ahmedabad Police said.

The lone survivor in the mishap was taken to the hospital and is under treatment.

In a cell phone video that is being circulated online, the passenger was seen walking with a limp, indicating a leg injury. His clothes had blood stains and smudges of soot.

"The police found one survivor in seat 11A,"  Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The person has been identified as 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian who was returning to the UK after a visit.

AI171, carrying 242 people, went down almost immediately after departure at 1:38 PM, sending up plumes of smoke near the crash site.

It hit a medical college hostel, leaving five students dead as well.

The flight carried 169 Indian passengers, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.