Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, also sent a similar cable to the Indian president, expressing his condolences to the bereaved families of the crash victims.

Eight passengers of the plane that flew from Dubai carrying mostly Indian workers and their dependents survived the crash. In separate messages to Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum expressed their grief over the accident. They asked Allah to grant the families of the victims the patience to bear the losses and wished the survivors a quick recovery.

Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, also mourned the deaths in the crash, the worst air disaster in India in 14 years.

In a condolence message to Singh, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "I am deeply saddened to hear about the plane crash … I also hope the survivors of the tragic accident will recover soon."