Teen accidentally records Air India AI171 crash moments before tragedy in Ahmedabad
Aryan’s sister also expressed concern for his emotional state, saying that he no longer wanted to live in the area due to fear of similar incidents.
SHAH ALAM - A 17-year-old boy who unintentionally captured footage of the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat last Thursday has come forward to give a statement to the police as a key eyewitness in the investigation into the tragic incident, which claimed 270 lives.
The boy, identified as Aryan, recounted how only 24 seconds after recording the video of the aircraft, it crashed and exploded into a "fireball."
The Air India Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner reportedly crashed just minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to Gatwick, United Kingdom.
According to Aryan, he had merely recorded the aircraft as usual from his rented home near the airport before witnessing the horrific tragedy unfold before his eyes.
"I felt very scared. My younger sister was the first to see the video. I also feel traumatised when I watched the footage again," he told international media.
Aryan’s video has become one of the first visual pieces of evidence to circulate on social media and news broadcasts, offering an early glimpse into the tragedy.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch chief confirmed in a statement that Aryan came forward with his father to provide a statement and that no arrests had been made.
Aryan’s sister also expressed concern for his emotional state, saying that he no longer wanted to live in the area due to fear of similar incidents.
"He looked shocked and did not speak at all. I tried to comfort him, but he stayed awake all night and refused to eat," the landlord of his rented house said.
The tragedy occurred on June 11 when the Air India AI171 aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a student hostel complex in the Meghani Nagar area, about two kilometres from the airport.
The crash claimed the lives of 241 people on board, while 29 others on the ground also perished, bringing the total death toll to 270 as of Saturday (June 14).
The sole survivor of the tragic crash was a male passenger in seat 11A and was currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
According to India’s Civil Aviation secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha, the aircraft had only managed to ascend to 200 metres before it suddenly lost altitude.
"The Air Traffic Control tried to contact the aircraft, but there was no response. Exactly one minute later, the aircraft crashed," he said during a press conference.
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