Ahmedabad, India – An Air India passenger plane bound for London Gatwick crashed Thursday in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, carrying 242 individuals, aviation officials confirmed. The airline described the incident as a “tragic accident.”
Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, officials stated. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound sorrow, calling the crash “heartbreaking beyond words.” An AFP journalist at the scene observed rescuers sifting through charred wreckage.
“Our office is near the building where the plane crashed. We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames,” recounted a local resident, who requested anonymity.
India’s civil aviation authority confirmed there were 242 people aboard the aircraft, comprising two pilots and 10 cabin crew. Air India provided a breakdown of passengers, identifying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer conveyed his condolences, describing the scenes from the crash as “devastating” in a statement addressed to the passengers and their families during “this deeply distressing time.”
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation reported that the aircraft issued a mayday call before crashing immediately after takeoff, just outside the airport perimeter. Ahmedabad, the principal city of India’s Gujarat state, has a population of approximately eight million, and its busy airport is bordered by densely populated residential areas. An AFP journalist on the ground specified the crash site as being located between Ahmedabad civil hospital and the city’s Ghoda Camp neighbourhood.
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