UK dispatches team to help India investigate Ahmedabad Air India crash

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer has announced that an investigation team from the United Kingdom has been dispatched to India as part of the ongoing investigation into the crash of Air India's London-bound flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad.

His statement came soon after the British agency, Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents, said it will be deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the India-led investigation into the crash.

The flight crashed with 242 people on board within minutes of taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday evening. The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in India.

“The investigation is going on, we have dispatched an investigation team; that’s been deployed,” said Starmer.

“The Foreign Secretary (David Lammy) is leading on this, and we will obviously update as soon as we can. But we are working with the Indian authorities in this to establish the facts. I would say to all family, friends of anybody impacted to please contact the Foreign Office for further information,” he added.

The AAIB has said it would have “expert status” in the Indian investigation because UK citizens were on board the plane.

“The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India. In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation because UK citizens were on board the aircraft," read a statement by the AAIB.

“We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian-led investigation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident.”

In a video message issued from Downing Street on Thursday evening, the UK PM also reiterated an earlier statement about being “devastated” by the scenes from the crash site in Gujarat.

Of the 242 people on board the ill-fated aircraft, 169 were Indians, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals onboard apart from the 12 crew members.

With inputs from PTI