Air India flight to the UK crashes during take-off in Ahmedabad

ABC (Australia):


BREAKING

Air India flight to the UK crashes during take-off in Ahmedabad




A London-bound Air India flight has crashed during take-off.

In short:

An Air India plane carrying more than 200 people on board has crashed during take-off in western India.

Flight AI171 was travelling to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed in a civilian area near to an airport in the city of Ahmedabad, local police reported.

Visuals from near to the crash site showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.

abc.net.au/news/air-india-plane-crash-during-take-off-in-ahmedabad/105411004

An Air India plane with more than 200 people on board has crashed in western India, near to the airport in the city of Ahmedabad, according to the airline and police officials.

Those authorities have not yet specified whether there were any fatalities

The plane was travelling to London's Gatwick Airport in the UK, Air India said. Local police have reported that the flight crashed in a civilian area near to the airport.

"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X.

The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, the TV channels reported. Visuals from near to the crash site showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport as well as people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

At least 242 people were on board the flight, police in Ahmedabad reported.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director-general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38pm local time (6:38pm AEST).

Mr Kidwai said there were at least 232 passengers and 12 crew members on board and emergency teams had been activated at the airport in Ahmedabad.

According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm local time from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.

Flightradar24 also said it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off.

"The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB," Flightradar said.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of the Tata Group — which is a majority owner of Air India — said the company's "primary focus" was supporting the families of victims on board and assisting with the emergency response.

"With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today," he said in a post on X.

"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.

"Our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted."

India's aviation minster said he was "shocked and devastated" by the accident, saying his "thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families".

"I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said in a statement.

"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."

The last fatal plane crash in India involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm.

The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a "table-top" runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India in 2020. The plane skidded off the runway, plunged into a valley and crashed nose-first into the ground.

Twenty-one people were killed in that crash.