Air India flight 182: 1985 bombing back in news after Canada row - BBC News

In 1985, an Air India flight exploded mid-air, killing all 329 people on board - only one man was convicted.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mourners at the Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto a day after the bombing in 1985By Sharanya HrishikeshBBC News, DelhiThe deadly bombing of an Air India flight in 1985 is back in the news after relations between India and Canada hit a new low.

Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was investigating "credible allegations" that could link the Indian government to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia. India has denied the allegations, calling them "absurd".

Since then, several commentators in India have brought up the 1985 attack - also known as the "Kanishka bombing" because the Boeing 747 was named after the Emperor Kanishka - which also strained Delhi-Ottawa ties.

On 23 June 1985, an Air India flight travelling from Canada to India via London, exploded off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board. The cause was a bomb in a suitcase that was transferred to the flight even though the ticket holder had not boarded. The victims included 268 Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian origin, and 24 Indians. Only 131 bodies were retrieved from the sea.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Irish naval authorities in Cork bring debris ashore on 28 June 1985While the flight was still in the air, another explosion at Tokyo's Narita airport killed two Japanese baggage handlers. Investigators later said that this bomb was linked to the attack on Flight 182 and intended for another Air India flight to Bangkok but it exploded prematurely.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66909820?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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