A devastating plane crash occurred in Ahmedabad, India, involving an Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 232 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.
According to Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, the plane crashed five minutes after taking off at 1:38 pm local time. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” said Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India’s Civil Aviation Minister.
The airline confirmed the incident, stating, “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest opportunity.” Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, expressed profound sorrow over the incident.
Emergency services, including firefighters and ambulances, have been deployed to the scene. Visuals on local television channels showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of over 5 million. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined, and officials have not confirmed any casualties.