A London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, prompting a swift response from authorities. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating as flight AI171, was carrying 242 people, including crew members, when it went down in the Meghaninagar area near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 2 pm.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed deep anguish over the tragedy and said he was closely monitoring the situation. “Pained beyond words by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Disaster response forces have been quickly rushed to the crash site,” Shah posted on X, formerly Twitter. He confirmed that he had spoken with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner to take stock of the situation.
Air India, in a statement, confirmed the incident and shared details about the passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian, and 7 Portuguese citizens were onboard.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft rapidly losing altitude before crashing, followed by plumes of thick black smoke rising from the wreckage. Television footage showed twisted metal and scattered debris as emergency responders carried out rescue, evacuation, and firefighting operations at the site.
Several injured individuals have been shifted to Ahmedabad’s civil hospital. There is no official word yet on casualties.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to launch a detailed investigation into the cause of the crash.
Further updates are awaited as rescue and recovery operations continue.
