A LONDON-BOUND Air India plane has crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, western India.
According to a post by Air India on X, flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed on Thursday, June 12.
Reports indicate that up to 242 people were onboard the aircraft, which crashed in a residential area.
According to the flight tracking website FlightRadar, the ill-fated aircraft is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.
In a post on X, FlightRadar says, “We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171, external from Ahmedabad to London.”
Flightradar said the aircraft lost signal just seconds after leaving the runway.
The London Gatwick Airport, where the plane was destined to land before crashing, posted on X, “We can confirm that flight AI171 that crashed on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
The airport management promised to provide more details about the tragedy later.
According to the BBC, a spokesperson from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad said the airport had been shut and all flight operations had been suspended until further notice.
Plumes of smoke billowed in the sky with thick fire burning from the crash site. Emergency workers have begun moving out bodies from the crash site.
The number of casualties and possible survivors remains unknown at press time.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, in a statement, expressed shock at the disaster.
He said he was monitoring the situation and had directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take quick and collaborative action.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
It is still unclear what caused the disaster. Kinjarapu stated.
A reporter with the ICIR
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