Search teams have successfully recovered the cockpit voice recorder from last week's Air India crash site, a crucial piece that could reveal insights into the cause of the tragic incident.
The recorder was discovered amidst the wreckage in Ahmedabad, the government announced on Monday. This follows the earlier retrieval of the flight data recorder, completing the recovery of the two critical black boxes.
Investigators are hopeful that these devices will provide clarity on the events that led to the crash of the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which went down shortly after takeoff on Thursday and erupted into flames. The cockpit voice recorder captures conversations in the cockpit, while the flight data recorder monitors flight performance metrics.
At least 270 people, both on board and on the ground, have been reported dead by Indian media. However, an official death toll has not yet been released, as authorities continue victim identification efforts.
The airline has reported that 241 passengers were killed, with a 40-year-old British man as the sole survivor. The investigation is being led by India’s Air Accident Investigation Board, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, due to the aircraft's American manufacture.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principal secretary, Pramod Kumar Mishra, visited Gujarat to oversee ongoing relief efforts, ensure a comprehensive investigation, and coordinate support for the families of the victims.
