Mangaluru-origin pilot among crew killed in Air India crash near Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, June 12: First Officer Clive Kunder, who hails from Mangaluru and was a resident of Mumbai, was among the crew members aboard the Air India flight AI 171 that tragically crashed in a residential area near Meghaninagar in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, shortly after take-off.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM en route to London. Just about five minutes into the flight, the aircraft went down, leading to a devastating crash that claimed at least 133 lives. The flight was carrying 232 passengers—including two infants—and 12 crew members, making a total of 242 people on board.
Clive Kunder had completed his pilot training at Paris Air Inc. and had clocked around 1,100 hours of flying experience. He was assisting Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with over 8,200 hours of flight experience. Both were in the cockpit when the aircraft encountered trouble and crashed.
There were unconfirmed reports suggesting that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also on the passenger manifest, reportedly listed as passenger number 12. However, authorities are yet to confirm his presence on board.
Following the crash, flames engulfed the aircraft wreckage, with thick black smoke visible from several kilometres away. Emergency services, including the fire department, responded promptly. Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that fire tenders were dispatched immediately to control the blaze and assist in rescue operations.
Senior cabin crew on duty included Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik. Other crew members identified were Saineeta Chakravarti, Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam Sharma, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed a dedicated investigation team to probe the incident. The team includes the Director of Airworthiness, Assistant Director of Airworthiness, and a Flight Operations Inspector—who were already in Ahmedabad at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, operations at the Ahmedabad airport have been suspended until further notice. "All flight operations at SVPIA are temporarily suspended," an airport spokesperson said.
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. Rescue and recovery operations continue at the crash site, as authorities work to identify victims and offer support to grieving families.
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BJP files complaint over wall demolition, tree felling in Freedom Park for Rahul Gandhi’s event
Bengaluru: The BJP’s Bengaluru Central unit has filed a complaint at the Upparpete police station against the alleged demolition of a compound wall and the felling of a tree inside Freedom Park, reportedly to facilitate a protest by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress, which has alleged electoral malpractice in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, had initially planned to protest in Freedom Park in Bengaluru on August 5 and later deferred it to August 8 in light of the demise of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
“In preparation for the event, an ancient compound wall in the park was allegedly demolished, causing inconvenience to the public, damaging public property, and resulting in a loss to the government exchequer. Additionally, a tree within the park premises was cut down,” BJP Bengaluru Central President Saptagiri Gowda, who filed the petition, was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
The complaint further alleged that Congress undertook these activities without obtaining any permission from the concerned authorities.
It also accused the Congress of misusing government power for political purposes. “They have destroyed public property for their personal interests by constructing a huge new compound wall inside Freedom Park. This is an illegal act and a misuse of power by the ruling party,” the petition stated, as per TNIE.
The BJP leaders have demanded legal action against the organisers of the protest and the government officials allegedly involved.
The Upparpete police said that they have received the petition, adding that a preliminary inquiry is underway.
