Ahmedabad, June 12: The number of the dead has not been confirmed yet as the rescue operations are underway amid crashed air India plane.
Reportedly, Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon, sending shockwaves across the nation and abroad. The aircraft, operating as Flight AI 171, had 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, when it went down near the Forensic Cross Road in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar residential area, around IGB Ground.
The DGCA confirmed that the aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 pm and issued a MAYDAY call before all communication ceased. “The aircraft immediately fell to the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” said a DGCA official.
The plane was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar in the cockpit, officials added. Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene: a loud explosion, plumes of thick black smoke, flames, and panic among residents as the aircraft crashed into residential quarters of BJ Medical College doctors, damaging buildings and sparking widespread chaos.
Emergency services—including fire brigade units, police, and ambulances—rushed to the site. Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Gandhinagar and Vadodara were also deployed to assist in rescue and recovery operations. Rescue efforts were ongoing at the time of reporting, and casualty figures are yet to be confirmed.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, assuring full central support. “All aviation and emergency response agencies have been directed to take swift and coordinated action,” said Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, calling the crash “shocking and devastating.” He confirmed he was personally monitoring the evolving situation.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will be probing the crash. Senior officials, including the AAIB Director General and Director of Investigation, are en route to Ahmedabad.
Air India and DGCA are expected to issue detailed official statements shortly. Preliminary information suggests that the mishap occurred during takeoff, though the exact cause remains unknown.
The incident has drawn international concern. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the scenes were “devastating” and confirmed that many British nationals were on board. “I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” he said.
Britain’s King Charles III is also being updated regularly, according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief over the tragedy, calling it a “heart-rending disaster” and saying, “The nation stands with the affected people.”
Authorities have cordoned off the crash site and advised the public to stay clear to ensure rescue operations are unhindered.
