On June 12, at 1:38 PM IST, an Air India flight headed for London tragically crashed near Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff. More than 200 people were killed when Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood close to the airport. There were 242 passengers and staff members on board the aeroplane. According to Air India, there were 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese on the trip. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with 8,200 hours of flight time, was in charge of the flight. First Officer Clive Kunder, who had 1,100 hours of flight time, was helping him in the cockpit. He was also a cousin of Bollywood actor Vikrant Massey.
"My heart breaks" is how Vikrant Massey describes his personal loss. With other celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Aamir Khan, posting condolence messages for the impacted families, the entertainment industry joined the mourning chorus. Actor Vikrant Massey was one of them; he shared his sorrow on Instagram, saying that the tragedy was personal to him. "My heart breaks for the families & loved ones of the ones who lost their lives in the unimaginably tragic air crash in Ahmedabad today. It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, lost his son, Clive Kunder, who was the 1st officer operating on that fateful flight. May God give strength to you and your family, uncle, and to all deeply affected.”
Rescue and relief activities at the disaster site began immediately after the crash sent shockwaves around the world. In a heavily populated residential area, emergency personnel fought fire and debris as they raced to the scene. In order to identify the dead and ascertain the reason for the crash, forensic teams and aviation authorities are currently on the scene. A thorough examination is in progress, while preliminary findings point to a potential engine issue.