A tragic incident occurred on Thursday when a passenger plane, en route to the United Kingdom, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in India. The Air India flight, which was carrying a total of 242 individuals, including crew members, was set to arrive at Gatwick Airport later that evening.
Details of the Flight and Casualties
The ill-fated flight AI171 departed at 1:39 p.m. local time but encountered difficulties within five minutes of takeoff, crashing into the residential neighborhood of Meghaninagar. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. The flight’s unexpected demise has left families in both India and the U.K. in a state of distress.
Government and Airline Responses
Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons in the U.K., expressed her condolences, stating that the government would “provide all the support that it can” to those affected by this heartbreaking event. She acknowledged the “huge amount of worry and concern” families are experiencing as they await news of their loved ones.
“We send our deepest sympathy and thoughts to all those families.”
In response to the incident, the British Foreign Office affirmed that efforts are underway to collaborate with local Indian authorities to gather information and extend support to those involved. Air India also confirmed the incident, stating, “At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates.”
Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, India’s Civil Aviation Minister, expressed his shock and devastation over the tragedy. He informed the public that rescue teams have been deployed to the crash site, emphasizing that all necessary medical aid and relief efforts are being expedited.
Reports indicate that the flight made a mayday call to air traffic control before the crash. In light of the incident, Ahmedabad Airport has temporarily closed, halting all operations until further notice. Gatwick Airport has also acknowledged the crash, clarifying that the flight was scheduled to land at their facility at 18:25.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, this incident marks a significant event as it is the first crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft in its 14 years of operating passenger flights. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 noted that the last signal from the aircraft was received just 190 meters after takeoff, highlighting the swift and tragic turn of events.