Tragedy struck in India on Thursday as an Air India passenger plane bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, killing an unknown number of passengers and crew.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as Flight 171 to London Gatwick, went down just beyond the airport perimeter, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky, according to eyewitnesses.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that the aircraft had issued a mayday call moments before crashing. The ill-fated flight was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and ten cabin crew members. Ahmedabad, a city of over eight million residents, is densely populated, and the airport is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, raising concerns about possible casualties on the ground.
India’s Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, expressed shock and sorrow over the crash. “I am shocked and devastated by the tragic accident in Ahmedabad,” he said, adding that all aviation and emergency response agencies have been mobilized for coordinated rescue and relief efforts. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed the crash in an official statement, describing it as a “tragic accident.” He extended his condolences to the families of those affected and noted that an emergency center and support team had been activated to assist relatives seeking information.
India has a history of deadly air disasters. In 2010, an Air India Express flight crashed in Mangalore, killing 158 people. The country’s worst mid-air collision occurred in 1996 over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people. The deadliest Air India tragedy remains the 1985 bombing of a Boeing 747 off the coast of Ireland, which killed all 329 people aboard.
Further updates are expected as rescue operations continue and investigations begin into the cause of Thursday’s crash.
