A Boeing passenger aircraft destined for London tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from India on Thursday. The catastrophe, which occurred in a densely populated residential area, is feared to have claimed the lives of all 242 passengers on board and possibly numerous others on the ground. The ill-fated Air India Flight 171 had barely been airborne for 30 seconds from Ahmedabad, a city with a population of approximately 5 million, before it plummeted to the ground, as captured in a chilling video.
G.S. Malik, the Commissioner, stated that it seemed unlikely that there were any survivors from the crash. He also expressed concern that local residents may have been casualties as the plane crashed into buildings. The exact number of casualties is still being determined. The pilot had issued a distress call, a “Mayday,” just moments after takeoff. Subsequent footage showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner descending over the bustling city before erupting into a massive fireball, with thick black smoke soon engulfing the skyline.
The aircraft crashed directly into a doctor’s residence, with images showing the rear of the jet protruding from the building. The crash site was a scene of devastation, with charred bodies scattered around a flattened area of the city. The 242 passengers included 217 adults and 11 children, with 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes of the London-bound plane, carrying many British nationals, crashing in Ahmedabad as “devastating.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow, calling the incident “heartbreaking beyond words.” He extended his thoughts to everyone affected in a social media post.
Rescue teams were quickly mobilized, and efforts are underway to provide medical aid and relief support to the crash site, according to India’s aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, stated that the airline’s primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families, and assisting the emergency response teams at the site.
Following the crash, all flights were suspended by the Ahmedabad airport. Gatwick airport confirmed that the flight, which was due to arrive at 6:25 p.m. in London, had crashed on departure. This disaster marks the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Boeing has acknowledged the reports of the crash and is gathering more information. The 787 Dreamliner, a widebody, twin-engine plane introduced in 2009, has seen over 1,000 units delivered to dozens of airlines. British cabinet minister Lucy Powell assured that the government will provide “all the support that it can” to those affected by the crash.