Ahmedabad, June 14: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday visited the site of the catastrophic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of over 240 people. Describing the incident as an "unimaginable tragedy," Kharge expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who perished.
“Visited the crash site of the devastating aeroplane tragedy which has shaken the nation. My deepest condolences and thoughts are with the families of the victims, crew, pilot, and people on the ground who lost their lives, including medical students. It is an unimaginable tragedy. The country is mourning, and our prayers are with the bereaved,” Kharge posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Kharge was accompanied by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera, and others during the visit.
Earlier, addressing the media, Kharge emphasized the importance of not rushing to assign blame. “At a time like this, no one should rush to take credit or indulge in blame games. Some are busy taking photos, others are visiting families. What matters now is to help the victims’ families find strength,” he said. “Now that the black box has been recovered, investigations will reveal the truth. It’s not appropriate to speculate or blame anyone prematurely. However, compensation must be provided, and those found responsible must be held accountable.”
Kharge also urged Congress workers to actively support the affected families. “I request all our party workers and leaders to keep assisting the people impacted by this tragedy. If they require medicines or other essentials not available locally, arrangements should be made immediately,” he said.
The tragic accident involved an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft went down in the densely populated Meghaninagar area on Thursday.
Of the 242 individuals on board, only one survived. According to Air India, the passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals.
