BREAKING: Air India 171 Flight Crashes After Take-Off
An Air India 171 flight to London with 242 passengers onboard crashed on Thursday afternoon shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad.
Local residents reported 3 loud explosions followed by smoke. More than 5 fire engines were deployed as crews battled the blaze and began rescue operations.
It was gathered that the plane crashed on top of the dining area of a medical college hostel. It was unclear if any medical students were present inside the building at the time of the crash.
The airline said the Gatwick Airport-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Of those, Air India said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words.”
“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected,” he said in a social media post.
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told AP that Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. He said 244 people were on board and it was not immediately possible to reconcile the discrepancy with Air India’s numbers.
All efforts were being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X. The Indian army said in a statement that its teams were assisting civil authorities to clear debris and help treat the injured.