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Air India plane crash resulted in 'more casualties than ever imagined', local journalist claims
Jun 12, 2025
The Air India plane crash which is reported to have claimed the lives of all on board has sent "shockwaves through city", a local broadcaster has claimed.Speaking to GB News, Preya Maniar told Good Afternoon Britain that one of the passengers on board the flight was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
We're going to head to Ahmedabad, where this incident took place, to speak to broadcast journalist Preya Mania
0:08
Preya, thank you so much for joining us. I imagine the people of Ahmedabad are in a state of shock at the moment
0:16
What can you tell us from the local authorities? Well, good evening. I'm joining you from Ahmedabad, where today's Air India crash has sent shockwaves through the city
0:26
While I'm not at the crash site yet, I'm just about to go
0:30
What I can tell you from being based here is that local media and emergency updates are flooding in by every minute
0:37
Like literally now hospitals and everybody who has been deceased or injured or majorly been affected
0:43
everybody has been asking around blood donations across the city because there have been more casualties than we could have ever imagined
0:50
The aircraft was reportedly attempting on an emergency landing when the crash occurred near Meghan-e-Nikal
0:56
which is a locality which is close to Ahmedabad Airport, which is what initial reports suggest as well
1:02
And authorities, including the DGCA and NDRFs and rescue teams, they are now on the site
1:07
with three more on the way and an investigation is underway to determine the cause There a noticeable rise in activity around the airport zone and social media channels here They full of distressed footage and local appeals for you
1:20
know, blood donation support. And while the full scale of this tragedy is still unfolding
1:26
we're still about to know as how many people are dead, how many are not. There is a palpable
1:30
sense of fear and grief across Ahmedabad tonight. I will continue to monitor
1:36
Sorry, sorry, Preyar. Do continue. Sorry? Sorry, do carry on. Yeah, what I can, what I just recently received the update is
1:47
we also had our former chief minister, Vijay Rupani, on the same flight as well
1:53
And unfortunately, he's passed away. And that's the only confirmed update for now that I can give you
1:59
So that's a very senior politician of the BJP, of Narendra Modi's party
2:05
the former sort of regional chief minister there for Gujarat. And you're saying local media has confirmed that he's passed away on this flight
2:14
Yes, unfortunately. It's such a heartbreaking news for the entire city as well as the nation today
2:21
But this is just an unfortunate tragedy that we all have been suffering and people are still in shock Especially because all the people the flight was literally boarded and within the two minutes of it being off the ground it crashed I think from what I do receive and I have got the updates from is the pilot
2:40
did try to actually send the signal, but somehow apparently the signal by the time it could reach
2:46
to the catered people, it crashed immediately. I'm still coordinating with contacts on the ground
2:54
to gather more details and more confirmed news yet as we go on. What can you tell us about the
2:59
building that it appears to have crashed into? Some reports say that this was something to do
3:04
with the hospital, a hostel for people who worked in the hospital. It was actually a building. It's
3:11
a hostel actually where a lot of, it's a hostel where there are like 50 around doctors and possibly
3:17
there's an effect on them too. There are approximately around 50 doctors that have been
3:23
said that either they are injured or maybe there's a chance that they could also be dead
3:29
But yet, no news is confirmed yet. Everything is still unfolding because people are shocked
3:34
There are so many people at the civil hospital and all the grounds, they are completely full
3:39
of you know still figuring out like you know what is going on and how many kind of people they have been already dead and how many of them are injured but definitely there are way too many casualties
3:52
and we could have possibly expected. And what's the what's the hospital like there where you are
3:58
have you been to that hospital before is it is it? I am just actually I'm about to go there
4:03
Okay is it do you imagine it's very capable of dealing with something like this a huge
4:07
potential mass of casualties entering the hospital at the same time? Yes, I'm pretty sure there is
4:15
Apparently because there are three NDRFs that have been sent already and they're en route to the incident, to the place where this entire incident has taken place
4:24
So I'm sure we will get all the updates in the entire day towards
4:30
because it's still evening. It's 5.30, close to 5.30 p.m. over here in India
4:36
and I think we are still foretaking the entire news until the night
4:41
Okay, well, Preya, as you say, you're about to head over there to the site itself
4:46
I hope that perhaps we can speak to you a little bit later as well once you've been there
4:50
I will keep updating you once I reach to the location, yes. Thank you so much, Preya. That would be greatly appreciated
4:56
Good luck with your reporting. Preya Mania, thank you so much for joining us
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