Now Reading: Captain Smit Machhar spoke to PM Modi after saving 174 lives
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Captain Smit Machhar spoke to PM Modi after saving 174 lives
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on 2 October via video call with Captain Smit Machhar, the pilot who saved 174 people on Flydubai flight FZ1073 on 30 September. During the call, Machhar told Modi he kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa even while injured. Modi praised his courage and said the entire country was praying for his recovery.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked Machhar, seized the controls and caused the plane to drop from 34,000 feet to 17,000 feet in 60 seconds. Machhar managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, after which passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers took control and landed the plane safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said the co-pilot had been brainwashed by Islamic extremists, while Israeli authorities have not yet concluded whether Iran was involved.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Coverage divides sharply on the framing of the attacker's motive. Divya Bhaskar and Israeli Channel 16, cited by it, foreground the co-pilot's religious extremism and refusal to shake hands with women, while BBC reports that Netanyahu called it Islamic extremist brainwashing but also notes officials say it is too early to conclude whether Iran was involved. Divya Bhaskar's account is dramatic, describing the co-pilot as a villain, whereas BBC reports are more cautious, stressing that neither the airline nor authorities have confirmed the attack's purpose or weapon. All sources uniformly report that Captain Machhar opened the cockpit door and that two positioning pilots landed the plane. The key open question, stated by BBC, is the motive and whether the attack was linked to terrorism.
Flydubai has said it is investigating and that the cause remains unclear.
Coverage: 12 sources, 2 pro-government, 9 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (12): divyabhaskar.co.in (sensationalist), divyabhaskar.co.in (2) (pro government), bbc.com (neutral report), bbc.com (2) (neutral report), bbc.com (3) (neutral report), bbc.com (4) (neutral report), bbc.com (5) (neutral report), bbc.com (6) (neutral report), bbc.com (7) (neutral report), bbc.com (8) (pro government), bbc.com (9) (neutral report), bbc.com (10) (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 12 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
