Worshippers at a Sikh temple in Dubai offered prayers on Friday for more than 240 people who were killed when an Air India plane crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, western India.
The Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara Dubai said the Air India Flight 171 crash was a “horrifying tragedy” and expressed grief over the loss of lives after the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-Dreamliner crashed into a residential neighbourhood near an airport in Gujarat state on Thursday.
“This is not just an airline tragedy, it is a human tragedy that has pierced through the soul of our global family,” said Surendra Singh Kandhari, chairman of the gurudwara in Dubai, which is based in Jebel Ali.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.”
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The tail of Air India Flight 171 protrudes from a medical college building near Ahmedabad Airport. AFP -
The body of a victim is handed over to family members at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Reuters -
Doctors collect a DNA sample from a relative of a crash victim at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. EPA -
Police guard the Air India Flight 171 crash site in Ahmedabad. AFP -
Dabu Patni mourns her brother Akash Patni, who died in the plane crash. Reuters -
An aircraft wheel amid the wreckage of the plane. Bloomberg -
Rescuers and volunteers sift through debris at the crash site. Bloomberg -
An officer shows debris recovered at the site of the crash. EPA -
A plume of smoke seen through a window at Ahmedabad airport after Air India flight 171 crashed nearby. AFP -
People gather near the crash site. Reuters -
A car completely gutted by fire after the plane crash near Ahmedabad airport. AP -
Security personnel at the crash site in Ahmedabad, in the north-western Indian state of Gujarat. AP -
Firefighters work at the site of an airplane that crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. AP
He prayed for strength for the families and eternal peace for the victims of the crash.
One person survived as the plane with 242 people on board flew low over a residential neighbourhood near the airport and crashed into a medical hostel before erupting in flames.
There were 169 passengers from India, 53 from Britain, seven from Portugal and one from Canada, two pilots and 10 cabin crew.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun investigations to determine the cause of the crash and Boeing has said it will offer full support to the probe.
