AHMEDABAD, (India): The Air India Flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, that was involved in a crash on Thursday (June 12) shortly after takeoff outside the airport is said to have crashed into a doctors' hostel in the Meghani area of the city.
A senior police officer has said: “As per preliminary information, a London-bound Air India flight has crashed at the doctors' hostel. Within 2–3 minutes, police and other agencies reached the spot. Almost 70–80% of the area has been cleared. All agencies are working here.”
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there were 242 people on board the aircraft — 230 passengers, 2 pilots, and 10 cabin crew members.
The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, with first officer Clive Kundar.
The flight was heavily fueled for the long-haul journey, adding to the intensity of the explosion and fire that followed the crash.
Multiple fire engines and ambulances have been sent to the crash site to carry out rescue operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to share his response: "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected."
India’s President Droupadi Murmu says she is “deeply distressed” by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, calling it a “heart-rending disaster”. In a post on X, she says her thoughts and prayers are with the affected people, adding: “The nation stands with them in this hour of indescribable grief.”
Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran issues statement “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI 171 operating Ahmedabad–London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
"At this moment, 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.
"Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency centre has been activated and support teams have been set up for families seeking information.”
AP reported that visuals on local television channels showed smoke billowing from the crash site in what appeared to be a populated area near the airport in Ahmedabad, a city with a population of more than 5 million.
Firefighters doused the smoking wreckage of the plane, which would have been fully loaded with fuel shortly after takeoff, and an adjacent multi-story building with water. Charred bodies lay on the ground.
"The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.
"My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time," Starmer said in a statement.
The airline said the Gatwick Airport-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Of those, Air India said there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told The Associated Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. He said 244 people were on board and it was not immediately possible to reconcile the discrepancy with Air India's numbers.
All efforts were being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X.
Reuters reported that Britain is working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website.
The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Modi had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately.
All relevant agencies were on high alert and coordinated efforts were underway, the aviation minister's office added.
Ahmedabad is the main city in Modi's home state of Gujarat.
Ahmedabad airport said it had suspended all flight operations with immediate effect. The airport is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate.
In response to the suspension of flight operations at Ahmedabad airport following the Air India crash, Indian Railways has announced plans to deploy Vande Bharat trains to help transport stranded passengers. Officials said this step aims to ease passenger movement from Ahmedabad to major cities until normal air services resume.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171," Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X.
"Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground," he said.
The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and 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. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground.
Twenty-one people were killed in that crash.
The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara - a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines - in 2024.
Tata said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information. - Agencies
