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Air India plane to London with over 240 on board crashes in ball of fire after take-off
There were 242 passengers including two infants and over 50 British nationals , and 12 crew members on board.
NEW DELHI: An Air India plane to London crashed in a ball of fire in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area minutes after taking off from the city’s airport with 232 passengers and 12 crew on board, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday.
The plane, AI 171, was headed to London’s Gatwick airport in the United Kingdom.
There is no official word on the casualties in the incident.
In a post on X, Air India said the flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.
The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad airport at 1:38pm from runway 23 and moments later, gave a MAYDAY call to the air traffic controllers. “... but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” a DGCA report said.
It said the plane fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter.
A video clip that captured the final moments before the crash shows the aircraft losing height before disappearing behind residential buildings and bursting into flames.
A civil aviation ministry official said the director general of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have reached the spot. “An AAIB, Director Investigation and Go Team are leaving for Ahmedabad,” the official said.
Also Read: Chilling video show debris scattered at Air India crash site in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad airport was shut for operations following the incident.
Aviation safety expert Capt Mohan Ranganathan said: “We do not know the details yet. However, Ahmedabad is very notorious for birds. It could be a bird in the engine or an engine failure. However, the crew are well trained to handle engine failure situations.”
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who was in Vijayawada, has reached Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi later spoke to the minister and took took stock of the Air India flight crash incident in Ahmedabad.
The Prime Minister has directed the minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation. All relevant agencies are on high alert, and coordinated efforts are underway, Naidu's office said.
