Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 13 (ANI): Congress leader KC Venugopal on Friday said that the inquiry into the Air India flight plane crash near the Ahmedabad airport should be expedited and that there should be a clear-cut answer to why this accident happened.

Speaking with ANI, KC Venugopal described the plane crash as 'one of the most shocking incidents' and said that there should be a clear-cut answer why this accident happened.

'What happened in Ahmedabad yesterday was one of the most shocking incidents. There are no words to explain it...We need a thorough inquiry about that. I think there is an established convention to inquire about flight accidents. I think that should be expedited, there should be clear-cut answer why this accident happened. Only an inquiry can reveal this,' KC Venugopal said.

On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was bound for London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.

Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.

The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.

The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing also released a statement on X, saying, 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.'

(ANI)