Ahmedabad crash could be deadliest single-aircraft tragedy in India's aviation history
Ahmedabad, June 12: The devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday may go down as the worst single-aircraft disaster in India’s aviation history, as the confirmed death toll continues to rise.
The previous deadliest crash involving a single aircraft occurred on January 1, 1978, when an Air India Boeing 747 named Emperor Ashoka crashed into the Arabian Sea just off the coast of Bombay (now Mumbai), less than two minutes after take-off. The Dubai-bound flight claimed the lives of all 213 people on board.
While India has witnessed more severe aviation tragedies in terms of total fatalities, such as the 1985 Kanishka bombing, Thursday’s crash in Ahmedabad could become the deadliest ever involving a single aircraft on Indian soil.
ALSO READ: India’s deadliest plane crashes: A look back at nation’s most tragic aviation disasters
In the 1985 incident, Air India Flight 182, operating from Canada to India, was blown up mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean after a bomb planted by Khalistani separatists exploded. The aircraft disintegrated at 31,000 feet, killing all 329 people on board. That tragedy remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in aviation history.
Thursday’s crash in Ahmedabad involved Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London, which crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft was carrying 232 passengers and 12 crew members. As of the latest reports, at least 133 people have been confirmed dead, with rescue and recovery operations ongoing.
If the death toll continues to rise, the Ahmedabad tragedy could surpass the 1978 Bombay crash in terms of lives lost in a single-aircraft crash within the country.
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Tribals, Scheduled Castes preserved India's identity and soul despite foreign invasions: Bhagwat
Mumbai (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that despite foreign invasions and hardships, tribal communities and Scheduled Castes preserved the country's identity and soul, stressing the need to integrate them into the mainstream development process.
He was speaking on Saturday at the Karmayogi awards ceremony in Mumbai, where Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was also present.
"Human life is defined by giving back to the world, as we are all part of one great family. A person works and spends for the betterment of society, not as a favour, but out of duty. In serving others, we foster our own development. By helping others to thrive, we elevate ourselves and grow as human beings. This principle is the core value of this Indian land, commonly known as a Hindu society," Bhagwat said.
"This is the society's enduring ethos, which has survived for thousands of years. For various reasons, partly because of our indifference and partly because of foreign invasion, those who preserved this ethos paid a heavy price," he said.
The foreign invaders found that this ethos, this value system of the society is its soul and the key to keeping it alive. So they ensured that those who tried to preserve this soul would be uprooted and face extreme hardships, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief noted.
But despite foreign invasions and hardships, tribal communities and Scheduled Castes preserved the country's identity and its soul, he said.
"Despite such adversities, the country's core identity remained intact among tribal communities and those belonging to SC and ST groups," he said, emphasising the need to integrate them into the mainstream development process while ensuring they receive equal access to services and facilities.
Referring to global developments, Bhagwat said the present world is "stumbling forward" and struggling to maintain balance, and asserted that India could emerge as a stabilising force.
The country must not only safeguard its own interests but also extend support to the world, he said.
"The world should get to see that the country is not only solving its own misery and sorrow but also helping the world to address similar issues," he said.
The RSS chief stressed that service to society is not a favour but a duty that contributes to one's own development.
Helping others grow also elevates individuals and strengthens the collective fabric of society, he said.
The so-called educated and developed sections have, over time, distanced themselves from these communities, Bhagwat pointed out, and called for the need to bridge this gap.
The identities preserved by these communities represent the true identity of Indian society, he said and underlined that without identity, existence itself is at risk.
