Authorities in India are investigating the possibility of sabotage in the tragic Air India crash that claimed 260 lives earlier this month. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick, crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12. It slammed into a medical college hostel, killing all 242 people onboard and 19 others on the ground.
Only one person survived—40-year-old British national Vishwash Ramesh, who lost his brother in the crash. He described the experience as haunting and called his survival a miracle.
India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is examining every angle, including potential sabotage. Authorities suspect that fuel contamination may have caused both engines to fail—a situation that aviation experts say is infrequent.
The pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, managed to issue a distress call just before the crash, saying, “No thrust… May Day… May Day.” The plane had only reached 625 feet before losing altitude and crashing 33 seconds into the flight.
Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and analysing data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, both of which remain in the AAIB’s custody. Officials expect the final report to be released in approximately three months.
To calm public fears, Mr Mohol noted that all 33 Dreamliners in India were inspected by aviation authorities and cleared for safety. He described the incident as a rare accident and reassured that air travel remains a safe mode of transportation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met with Ramesh as the nation looks for answers from the ongoing investigation.
