Air India has confirmed that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, that crashed minutes after take-off this afternoon had 242 passengers and crew members on board. Of these, 169 were Indian nationals and 53 were British nationals. There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad.
“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” Air India said in a statement.
“We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” the full-service carrier added.
There were two pilots, 10 crew members and 230 passengers on the London-bound flight. The cause of the crash has not yet been ascertained.
Air India flight crashes in Ahmedabad
Air India flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm. It crashed five minutes after take-off.
{{/usCountry}}Air India flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm. It crashed five minutes after take-off.
{{/usCountry}}Horrifying videos that have emerged online show the moment the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft went down. Rescue operations are currently underway, with fire services at the site of the crash.
Data from flight tracking platform FlightRadar has revealed that the Air India plane gained an altitude of 625 feet before it crashed.
All flights out of the airport have been suspended until further notice.