5 commissions fast-turnaround doc from ITN Productions on Air India tragedy

ITN Productions’ Air India Disaster: What Really Happened?

ITN

Paramount-owned broadcaster 5 in the UK has commissioned a fast-turnaround documentary about last week’s Air India plane crash from ITN Productions.

The 60’ film, titled Air India Disaster: What Really Happened?, will delve into the circumstances of the tragedy, which led to the deaths of all but one passenger on Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London.

The doc is being made by teams in Ahmedabad, London and Leeds and will air on 5 in early July. It will feature sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh and will explore what went wrong and who is accountable.

ITN’s head of UK factual Caroline Short exec produces with Andy Dunn, while Supriya Sobti is producer. Brighton-based Orange Smarty is handling international distribution.

Short said: “There is huge public interest in understanding what went wrong and, crucially, who should be held accountable for the fatalities in this tragedy, and it was therefore vital for us to have a team on the ground in Ahmedabad to tell the most comprehensive version of events so far.

“While we’re moving at pace, duty of care remains paramount to us as ever, and we’re taking every step to treat the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

Federico Ruiz, commissioning editor at 5, added: “The world watched in horror as flight AI 171 went down. There’s not a single person out there who doesn’t sympathise with the poor victims of this terrible tragedy, and we are all desperate to know what really happened. We are on the ground in India trying to uncover the truth, as investigators race to piece together the disastrous chain of events and try to avoid another catastrophe.”