Indian authorities have recovered the second black box from the wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787 that crashed last Thursday in Ahmedabad, killing at least 279 people, including 38 residents on the ground, officials confirmed Sunday.
PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was located by investigators, two days after the flight data recorder (FDR) was found on Friday. The discovery of both crucial devices is expected to provide key insights into the cause of the disaster.
The London-bound Flight AI 171, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a densely populated residential area shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Only one passenger miraculously survived the crash.
“The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a comprehensive probe,” Mishra said. “The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also participating in the investigation under international aviation protocols, as the aircraft is manufactured by Boeing.”
Emergency responders and forensics teams have since been working around the clock at the crash site to identify victims and recover evidence. The scale of destruction in the Meghani Nagar neighborhood has raised concerns over urban safety zones around busy airports.
The tragic accident marks one of the deadliest air disasters in India’s aviation history and has prompted calls for a nationwide review of flight safety protocols and emergency preparedness in urban areas.
Written By Rodney Mbua
