MUMBAI: The crash of Air India flight 171 on Thursday, which resulted in over 250 deaths, is among the darkest moments in the history of the Tata Group, said chairman N Chandrasekaran, while promising transparency about findings of the probe.“To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible. This is one of the darkest days in Tata Group’s history,” he said in a letter sent to a million employees.“As a group trusted by so many, when we took over Air India, ensuring safety of its passengers was our first and foremost priority. There was no compromising on it. None of this matters to the people who suffered devastating losses. At this time, we can only assure them of our full support,” Chandrasekaran said.“Why this routine flight turned into a calamity is something trained investigators will help us understand when their work is complete,” said Chandrasekaran. “Investigative teams from India, the UK, and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash. They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings.”Chandrasekaran has scaled down his public activities since the crash, cancelling plans to attend launch of Jaguar Type 00 car Saturday. Before reaching out to employees, he spoke with Tata companies’ CEOs and Tata Sons board about the incident.Tata companies are showing support to those affected. Staff from Tata Motors, Taj hotels and Croma in Ahmedabad, have joined Air India to help families of the victims, injured people, and those needing official assistance. Tata Trusts board will meet Monday to consider offering financial assistance to the victims’ families. Tata Trusts chairman, Noel Tata, who was in Europe when the plane crashed Thursday, is expected to return by then.“We built this group on trust and care. It is a difficult moment, but we will not retreat from our responsibilities. We will carry this loss. We will not forget,” concluded the chairman in his letter.Tata Group, which spans many industries from salt to software, has faced tragedies before. In Assam, militants had killed more than 15 employees from its tea unit. On Nov 26, 2008, terrorists attacked Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace hotel, killing 36 people.
