Ahmedabad, June 16: After the second black box, which is a critical component in determining the cause of the crash, was recovered, the investigators have intensified the probe in the Air India crash case.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), commonly referred to as the second black box, was retrieved from the cockpit section of the wreckage.

This comes days after the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was recovered from the tail end of the aircraft. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures all audio inside the cockpit, including conversations between pilots, radio transmissions, alarm sounds, and any background noise in the final moments before a crash.

It is a crucial tool for investigators, as it helps reconstruct the crew’s decision-making, identify possible human errors or mechanical warnings, and determine the sequence of events that led to an aviation incident.

Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed the findings, noting that both devices are in the process of being analysed. The CVR is expected to provide crucial insights into the final moments of the flight, including pilot communication and cockpit sounds, which may help investigators piece together the chain of events leading up to the tragedy.

The recovery was also acknowledged by P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the crash site on Sunday. During his visit, he reviewed ongoing investigation efforts and later went to the Civil Hospital, where injured passengers and local residents are being treated.

The death toll from the catastrophic Air India crash in Meghaninagar has risen to 270, officials have said. Among the deceased are 241 passengers who were on board the ill-fated flight, as well as several others who were present in nearby hostels, mess halls, and the surrounding residential area when the aircraft went down.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has declared a one-day state mourning on Monday in the state as a mark of respect to former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who lost his life in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12. All official functions and celebrations will remain suspended during the mourning period, and the national flag will be flown at half-mast across government buildings.

Kolkata, June 16: A devastating fire broke out at a busy marketplace in the Khidirpur area of South Kolkata, West Bengal, early Monday morning, gutting over 1,300 shops. No casualties have been reported so far.

A total of 20 fire tenders are already on the spot trying to bring the fire under control. An official of the state fire services department present at the spot said the fire had been brought under control to a great extent and to the point that it would not spread further.

“However, the problem that is now being faced by the fire-fighters is identifying the hidden ‘fire pockets’ and bringing them under control, following which it could be said that the situation is totally under control. After the task of identifying and deactivating the hidden ‘fire-pockets’ is over, the cooling process will start,” the fire department official said.

However, the local people have alleged that the fire would not have taken the devastating shape had the fire tenders reached the spot in time. The state fire services minister, Sujit Bose, who rushed to the place in the morning, however, denied the allegations.

“This is a baseless allegation. Since the requirement of fire tenders in this case was more, these vehicles reached the spot from multiple locations like Watganj and Garden Reach. The firefighters are risking their lives to bring the situation under control. At the same time, the owners of the shops were also negligent in adopting fire safety norms. I am not trying to blame anybody. But we will be investigating the matter,” Bose said.

However, the local traders, whose shops were gutted, claim otherwise. “First, the fire tenders reached late. Secondly, the vehicles that reached first did not have enough water. Thereafter, arrangements were made to pump water from the nearby flowing stream of the River Ganges. All these delayed the process to a great extent,” a local trader said.

It is learned that the fire was spotted at around 2 a.m. Besides informing the central control line of the state fire services department, the local people also started the initial task of firefighting. However, because of the congested area where the marketplace was located, the fire started spreading rapidly, and the entire market area came under the grip of fire within a very short period.

“Fortunately, the fire broke out at a time when there were hardly any people in the market area. Had the fire broken out in the daytime, there could have been several casualties. However, we fear that the value of the loss of property and assets because of the fire is huge,” said the fire department official.

Kozhikode, June 9: The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard on Monday rescued 18 crew members of the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, WAN HAI 503, which caught fire about 70 nautical miles off the Kerala coast, officials said.

While 18 crew members have been rescued after they jumped into the sea, the whereabouts of four other crew members attached to the ship’s Fire and Safety Department are being ascertained.

The latest visuals show a fire raging on the upper deck of the ship.

The fire accident was reported on the ship, deep in the Arabian Sea, off the Beypore–Azhikal coastline of Kerala.

With the alert coming from the Indian Coast Guard, the hospitals at Kozhikode and Kochi have been asked to be on high alert in case the crew of the ship requires medical attention.

The 270-metre-long vessel, with a draught of 12.5 metres, had departed Colombo on June 7 and was en route to Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Dornier aircraft and vessels of the Coast Guard and Navy from Kochi and Mangaluru have reached the ship, while some others are expected to arrive at the site shortly.

Capt K. Arun Kumar, the Port officer at Beypore, said some of the containers are carrying dangerous cargo, which includes inflammable liquids and solids and also toxic substances.

The crew who have been saved are likely to be brought to Beypore.

The crew does not have any Indians, as per officials.