An Air India plane (Flight 171) bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. Multiple sources said that “many people” were killed.
The plane was headed to Britain’s Gatwick Airport, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
“The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel…we have cleared almost 70 percent to 80 percent of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told reporters.
The 242 people included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, Air India said.
“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X. “The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.”
The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.
Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. local time (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a “Mayday” call, signaling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.
Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. “The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB,” it said.
Boeing said it is aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. A dedicated emergency helpline has been set up at 1800 5691 444 for Flight AI171.
Update: Air India owner Tata Group stated on their social media channels that they “will provide Rs 1 crore [approximately $116,854 USD] to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support…. We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time.”
