Air India Crash: ATS Recovers DVR as Intense Fire Hampers Rescue Efforts

Ahmedabad : The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from the wreckage of the Air India Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing hundreds. An ATS official confirmed, “This DVR was recovered from the debris. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team will arrive shortly to analyze it.”

The devastating crash occurred minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171, was carrying 242 people — 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew members, and two pilots. Tragically, the aircraft plummeted into the hostel and residential quarters of BJ Medical College, located just 3 km from the airport.

Officials revealed that the plane was carrying approximately 1.25 lakh liters of aviation fuel at the time of the crash. Upon impact, the fuel ignited, causing an inferno that raised the temperature at the crash site to nearly 1000 degrees Celsius. This intense heat made rescue operations extremely challenging.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the scene as horrific, stating, “The plane had 1.25 lakh liters of fuel. It was completely engulfed in flames, and in such conditions, survival was nearly impossible.”

According to a senior State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official, local residents had managed to pull a few victims from the wreckage before professional teams arrived. “Our team reached the site between 2 and 2:30 p.m. But we could not find any survivors. The entire area was burning, and the situation was catastrophic,” the officer said.

Another senior fire official added, “The explosion from the aircraft’s fuel tank was so powerful that temperatures surged instantly. Nothing could withstand that heat.”

An SDRF worker, with experience in disaster management since 2017, said, “This was the worst I’ve ever seen. Even with full PPE kits, it was almost impossible to carry out rescue operations. We managed to retrieve around 25 to 30 bodies, including children.”

Authorities say identification of the victims will only be possible through DNA testing due to the extent of the burns. “Even animals and birds didn’t get time to escape,” said another SDRF officer, pointing to carcasses around the site.

The Civil Hospital has received 265 bodies so far, but an official death toll has yet to be confirmed. Many of the victims were not just passengers but also students, staff, and residents from the BJ Medical College campus, adding to the heartbreaking scale of the tragedy.