Boeing 787 bound for London’s Gatwick Airport went down in a residential area near Ahmedabad airport
An Air India passenger plane carrying more than 200 people crashed Thursday after taking off from an airport in the Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press. There were 242 passengers and crew members onboard the flight.
“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran wrote on X.
Local media showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in northwestern India. The plane issued a “mayday” call to air traffic control before plunging out of the sky, Reuters reported.
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted,” Chandrasekaran added.
Air India said of those onboard the plane, 169 are from India, 53 are from Britain, 7 are from Portugal and 1 is from Canada. The injured are being taken to local hospitals.
“The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told Reuters.WATCH VIDEO BELOW
