Lucy Gilder
BBC Verify journalist
We spent much of yesterday trying to find out as much as possible about the Air India jet which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad killing all but one of the 242 people on board.
Our team assessed CCTV footage of the flight as it left the runway, and using flight tracking data we were able to pinpoint the last recorded location of the plane, at an altitude of 625ft and travelling at 200mph (354km/h)
Other images from the aftermath show that some of the plane’s wreckage was located just 1 mile (1.5km) from the end of runway.
Working with colleagues on the ground in India, BBC Verify also spoke to aviation experts and pilots to find out what factors might have caused the fatal crash.
It’s worth pointing out that at this stage it’s almost impossible to definitively establish what caused the disaster based on videos of the brief flight.
Some experts have speculated that a double engine failure may have doomed the flight, while others have pointed to a bird strike or problems extending the aircraft’s flaps during take-off.
You can watch the video below to find out more or read our write-up of the aviation experts’ views here.
Daniele Palumbo
BBC Verify journalist
FlightRadar24
Looking at flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 we can currently see no commercial flights over Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.
A series of Notams – advisory and warning notices sent to flight crews by air traffic control providers – have been issued, closing the routes used by airlines over these countries due to “operational reasons”.
Iran’s airspace was initially said to be closed until 10:00 GMT (11:00 BST). However, following Israeli strikes on several nuclear and military sites, a new advisory has been issued saying Iran’s airspace is closed indefinitely.
Shutting down Iran’s airspace will mean flights between South and South-East Asia, the Middle East and Europe will have to take less direct routes making flights longer.
Israel has also closed its main international airport – Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv – and its biggest airline, El Al, has suspended services.
Shayan Sardarizadeh
BBC Verify senior journalist
I’ve been working since the early hours with journalists across the BBC to get a sense of the scale of Israel’s strikes on Iran.
So far, we have verified footage showing the aftermath of strikes at two known Iranian military sites.
In footage filmed overnight in Piranshahr, where a ballistic missile site is believed to be located, we’ve seen a series a explosions at one location. Aftermath footage from the same spot shows fires continuing to burn.
We’ve also seen multiple videos showing plumes of smoke rising from an area close to anIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base in Kermanshah province. This is also believed to be a missile storage site.
Meanwhile, Iranian state TV has aired a report from the Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan where thick black smoke can be seen rising from the site.
We are also looking into online footage said to be from the same location to get a sense of what parts of the facility have been targeted.
Rob Corp
BBC Verify Live editor
Hello from the live page team.
Our main focus today we’ll be on the major overnight air strikes launched by Israel against a large number of targets in Iran.
We are currently working to verify:
- How many targets in Iran were attacked
- What was happening at those places – were they military or nuclear weapons facilities?
- Footage showing the air strikes happening and the aftermath
- The scale of Iran’s retaliation – 100 drones have reportedly been launched towards Israel
- The impact on the wider region in terms of air travel and defensive actions by Israel’s neighbours
We’ll keep you updated on those lines here on BBC Verify Live – and for all the latest analysis and reaction head to the main BBC News live page.
