June 14 – In a day of alarming developments for Air India, one of its international flights made an emergency landing following a bomb threat, while another met with a tragic crash shortly after takeoff in India.
Bomb Threat Forces Emergency Landing in Thailand
An Air India flight (AI 379) traveling from Phuket to New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday after the crew received a bomb threat mid-air. The aircraft, which took off at 9:30 AM local time carrying 156 passengers, had just departed Phuket International Airport when the threat was reported.
Following standard safety protocols, the flight circled over the Andaman Sea before returning to Phuket. All passengers were safely deboarded upon landing, according to a statement from Airports of Thailand (AOT).
“Security teams responded swiftly, and passengers were safely escorted out of the aircraft,” the statement read. Authorities are currently investigating the origin and authenticity of the threat. No injuries were reported.
Air India Flight AI-171 Crashes in Ahmedabad, 265 Dead
In a separate tragic incident, Air India Flight AI-171 crashed just two minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, en route to London. The aircraft had 230 passengers and 12 crew members onboard. So far, 265 bodies have been recovered, including individuals from the crash site and those affected in the building where the plane went down.
The crash occurred near the BJ Medical College hostel, killing four medical students and a doctor’s wife among others inside the building. Only one passenger is reported to have survived the devastating incident.
Among the deceased were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian. The passenger list included 103 men, 114 women, 11 children, and 2 infants.
One of the high-profile casualties included former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash, while recovery and identification efforts are ongoing at the site.