Air India Plane Crashes After Takeoff -- No Survivors Reported

An Air India flight bound for London crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff on Thursday in Ahmedabad, a city in northwestern India. The crash, which occurred near the city’s airport, has resulted in no known survivors, according to officials. The plane was carrying over 240 people when it went down.

The aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air. The fire quickly engulfed the wreckage and nearby buildings, causing widespread destruction. The airport is located in Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, and a city with a population exceeding 5 million.

Emergency teams, including firefighters and the Indian army, rushed to the scene to control the blaze and search for survivors. The plane, which was fully loaded with fuel shortly after takeoff, had crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar. Many charred bodies were found on the ground, and parts of the aircraft’s fuselage were scattered across the crash site. Civilian and military personnel worked to clear the wreckage and assist the injured.

“It appears there are no survivors,” said G.S. Malik, the city’s police chief, in a statement to The Associated Press. He confirmed that the death toll could include both those on the plane and individuals on the ground. Authorities are still working to confirm the exact number of casualties.

Divyansh Singh, Vice President of the Federation of All India Medical Association, reported that at least five medical students from a nearby college were killed, with 50 others injured, some critically. Many others are feared to be trapped in the rubble.

The flight, which was headed to London’s Gatwick Airport, carried 242 passengers and crew members. This included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which had been in service since 2009, crashed five minutes after takeoff at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time (08:08 GMT).

This marks the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, a widebody, twin-engine jet, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Aviation experts have begun to analyze the flight data, which could provide crucial insights into the cause of the crash. John M. Cox, an aviation consultant, pointed out that the flight data recorder would offer important information to determine what went wrong.

Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, expressed his company’s primary focus on supporting the affected families during this tragic time.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident “devastating,” while Cabinet minister Lucy Powell assured the public that the British government would provide all necessary support to those affected, both in India and in the UK.

“This is an unfolding story, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many families awaiting news of their loved ones,” Powell said in a statement to the House of Commons. “Our deepest sympathies go out to all those families.”

Air India Plane Crashes After Takeoff — No Survivors Reported  was originally published on rnbphilly.com