New Delhi [India] June 13 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda expressed sorrow and grief over the tragic demise of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

https://x.com/JPNadda/status/1933470042391523705

In a post on X, Nadda described the news as 'extremely painful,' hailing Rupani as a dedicated BJP worker and committed public servant.

'The news of the demise of former Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani ji in the plane crash in Ahmedabad is extremely painful. He was a true soldier of the BJP organisation and a dutiful public servant. The demise of Rupani ji is an irreparable loss for the BJP family. His thoughts and work in the field of development and public service of Gujarat will always be remembered. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family. May God grant a place to the departed soul in his lotus feet. Om shanti,' he posted on X.

Meanwhile, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box recovered from the building rooftop will serve as a critical piece of evidence. It will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of all 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

On Thursday, the Al-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport. The airlines said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls.

Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site.

Vishwashkumar Ramesh miraculously survived the Air India plane crash a day ago, in which 241 other passengers died. Kumar, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11, at the left window seat in the flight's economy class section, right behind an emergency exit.

There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said. (ANI)