Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Air India aircraft crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
He extended condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after the deadly crash that killed at least 265 people onboard and on the ground.
Xi Jinping expresses “shock”
In his message to President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, Xi expressed shock upon learning about the heavy casualties in the crash.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese government and people, he extended deep condolences over the loss of lives and sympathies to the injured and the devastated families. He wished the injured a quick recovery, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, one of the highest-ranking officials of the Communist party, sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Xi sent a separate message to Britain’s King Charles III, expressing shock and sorrow over the British casualties in the plane crash, reported PTI.
The “doomed” flight that killed many
According to PTI, at least 265 people lost their lives on Thursday when the London-bound Air India plane crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and burst into a ball of fire less than a minute after take-off.
The London-bound Air India plane was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Among the dead were 241 on board and 24 from a medical college complex on which the plane crashed. Only 1 passenger managed to “miraculously” survive the impact of the blast. The survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who is a British citizen from Leicester, was seated near the emergency exit, which aided in his swift and safe exit from the damaged plane, reported PTI.
The AI-171 flight had 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals onboard, apart from 12 crew members, according to a statement given by Air India on X (formerly Twitter).
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