Actor Vikrant Massey has clarified reports about the Air India crash, denying that he lost his cousin in the incident. In an Instagram post, he stated that the victim, and the flight’s co-pilot, Clive Kunder, was a family friend and not a relative.

Vikrant expressed his condolences to the family of Clive Kunder and emphasised the importance of accurate information during such tragic events. He urged the public and media to verify facts before sharing news.

His post read, “Dear friends in the media and elsewhere, the unfortunately diseased Mr Clive Kunder was not my cousin. The Kunders are our family friends. Request no more speculations and let the family and loved ones grieve in peace (sic).”

Read the post here:

On June 12, Massey shared an emotional post mourning the death of Kunder. “My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the unimaginably tragic air crash in Ahmedabad today. It pains even more to know that my uncle, Clifford Kunder, lost his son, Clive Kunder, who was the first officer operation on that fateful flight (sic),” he wrote.

Read the full post here:

Clive Kunder served as the First Officer aboard flight AI171, which was headed to London’s Gatwick Airport. With over 1,100 hours of flying experience, he was part of an experienced cockpit crew, alongside Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 flying hours.

The tragic crash on Thursday, among the deadliest aviation tragedies in recent history, claimed at least 265 lives. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 pm.

The aircraft crashed into a government hospital hostel in Meghaninagar, erupting into a fireball and leaving behind a trail of destruction and heartbreak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to visit the site later today.