New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives.

In an official statement, he extended condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Japan to the families of the deceased and wished a swift recovery for the injured.

“I am in deep sorrow by hearing the news of the loss of many precious lives in the airplane accident in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. On behalf of the Government of Japan and people, I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives and their bereaved families. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those who were injured,” said Ishiba

In addition, Prime Minister Ishiba issued messages of condolences to the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Canada.

In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, the aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The passenger manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

The impact triggered a massive blaze, with thick plumes of smoke visible across the city. Emergency services, including fire brigades and National Disaster Response Force teams, rushed to the site of the crash. Many people on the ground who were in the residential complex near BJ Medical College, are also feared dead.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Air India plane crash site. He arrived in the city to take stock of the situation, a day after the deadly plane crash.

PM Modi expressed profound grief and called the tragedy “heart-breaking beyond words.”

Earlier on Thursday, as the tragedy occurred, several world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, expressed grief and offered condolences to the people affected by the tragic plane crash.

–IANS

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