In the history of plane crashes, there are some whose images and stories leave fear and pain in people’s hearts for years. The Ahmedabad crash of Air India Flight AI 171 was one such incident, shocking the entire nation. In an instant, 260 lives were lost, and many families were shattered forever.
On June 12th, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gateway [MUSIC], crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff. There were 241 passengers and crew on board. Initially, the investigation focused on the pilots, and questions arose about whether the accident was the result of human error.
But now, almost a year after the accident, some claims appear to be changing the entire story. The plane had just taken off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport [music] and was heading towards the sky when suddenly both engines failed one after the other [music]. The plane began to tumble in the air and crashed into the hostel campus of Vijay Medical College, located about 1.5 kilometers from the runway [music]. The impact was so devastating that the entire area was reduced to flames and debris.
In addition to the 271 people on board, 19 people on the ground also died in this accident. A total of 260 lives were lost in an instant. Only one passenger miraculously survived this tragic accident. Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, seated on seat number 11A, was the only person to emerge from this scene of death. Now, a new claim has surfaced regarding this accident, raising serious questions about the initial [music] report of the investigating agencies. Romin Bohra, a resident of Kheda district in Gujarat, who lost three members of his family in the accident, has made a shocking claim.
Romin previously worked as a pathology lab assistant. The day after the accident, he was allowed to visit the hospital’s mortuary to identify the bodies of his family members. [Music] According to Romin, the scene in the mortuary was horrific. Dead bodies were lying everywhere. But during this time, his eyes fell on the body of the plane’s captain, Sumit Agarwal. He claims that the captain’s body was kept separate from the other dead bodies. And the position of his body was very different. According to Romin, Captain Sumit Agarwal’s body was in the same posture as a pilot sitting in the cockpit.
His knees were bent, his feet were pointed upwards, and most shockingly, his hands were stretched forward, as if he was still firmly gripping the plane’s controls. This claim has raised new questions about the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)’s preliminary report. [Music] The preliminary report, released on July 12th, stated that the plane’s flue supply to both engines had been cut off shortly after takeoff. Following the report’s release, speculation intensified that pilot error might have contributed to the accident. However, the newly revealed testimony paints a different picture. This claim suggests that Captain Sumit Sawarwal was desperately trying to save the plane until his last breath. This is not just the story of an accident, but also the story of duty, dedication, and courage of a pilot who, until the very last moment, fought death to save the lives of hundreds of passengers.
