Ahmedabad, India: An Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport. Authorities have confirmed the incident and are currently on the scene.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft was carrying 242 passengers and crew members. Initial reports indicate a diverse passenger manifest, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals.
The extent of casualties is still being determined, but emergency services are providing urgent medical attention to the injured, transporting them to nearby hospitals.
Air India has released a statement on their official X (formerly Twitter) account acknowledging the accident. The statement reads: “Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off.” In a statement released by the airline, Air India stated, “We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information.” Air India is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation and has promised to provide regular updates on its X handle (https://x.com/airindia) and its website (http://airindia.com).
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kanan Desai, confirmed that authorities are gathering information on the casualties. Fire officer Jayesh Khadia stated that fire tenders were immediately dispatched to extinguish the blaze.
Witnesses reported seeing a large plume of black smoke rising from the crash site. Emergency responders have initiated intensive rescue, evacuation, and firefighting operations. We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
