Indian-origin woman killed, daughter injured in plane crash in US
New York (PTI): An Indian-origin woman has died while her daughter and the pilot instructor were injured in a small plane crash in the New York area when they were on a "demonstration flight", media reports said.
Roma Gupta, 63, and her daughter Reeva Gupta, 33, were on board the small plane on Sunday as its pilot reported smoke in the cockpit before crashing near Long Island homes, NBC New York TV channel reported.
Roma was killed when the four-seater single-engine Piper Cherokee plane went down in flames as it was returning to the Republic Airport on Long Island from where it had also taken off.
Her daughter Reeva and the 23-year-old pilot instructor are in hospital with severe burns, according to the report.
"The two patients critically injured, severely burned, to my knowledge they were pulled from the plane from a civilian," North Lindenhurst Fire Dept. Chief Kenny Stallone said.
Roma died in the crash. Her daughter, Reeva, is in critical condition at Stony Brook Hospital with third-degree burns. Reeva is a physician's assistant in the Mount Sinai system, whose colleagues say she has a long, painful recovery ahead.
The flight instructor operating the plane was also in critical condition Monday, according to the Danny Waizman Flight School, which owns the plane.
Oleh Dekaylo, the attorney for Danny Waizman Flight School said the pilot had all his ratings and certifications, and the plane involved in the crash had just passed two stringent inspections, the most recently last week.
"It was a demonstration flight, an introductory flight to see if people are interested" in flying lessons, Dekajlo, the lawyer for Danny Waizman Flight School, told the channel.
Suffolk County police say the pilot was on a tourist flight. The flight path shows the plane went over the South Shore beaches. Then the pilot reported smoke in the cabin, which he radioed into Republic Airport air traffic controllers, the News12 New Jersey website reported.
The attorney for the plane's owner said that the plane had gone through numerous inspections, including one just recently.
The National Transportation Safety Board will continue the investigation to determine the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the crash.
Federal investigators are expected to return to the crash site for a third time on Tuesday to remove the wreckage for further analysis.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe created for the Gupta family has raised more than USD 60,000.
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No clarity on US-Iran talks as Islamabad stays under lockdown
Islamabad (PTI): Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran.
Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon.
In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded.
For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend.
This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another round of engagements, which has yet to materialise.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived here late Friday for engagements with the Pakistani leadership. He was received by senior officials, including Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
However, there is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit.
"No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan," Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post on Saturday.
He said the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad "for an official visit" and Araghchi will be "meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region".
As the Iranian team landed in Islamabad, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday "to engage in direct talks" with representatives of the Iranian delegation.
“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” she said.
However, the US team has not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar, in a social media post, expressed hope for "meaningful engagements" between the two warring parties to promote regional peace and stability.
The Foreign Office here said Iranian foreign minister Araghchi will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability.
"Following key discussions with the Pakistani mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday," a government official said.
He said a US logistics and security team is already present in Islamabad to facilitate the negotiation process.
Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to "closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments".
"Our neighbours are our priority," he said.
The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The Iran war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes.
