An Air India plane traveling to London with over 240 people onboard crashed minutes after takeoff near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday, with fears rising of a significant number of casualties as the plane crashed in a civilian area.
According to Air India, the plane was traveling to Gatwick airport in the U.K. Reports indicate it was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which has been described as among the safest most modern passenger aircraft in service.
Footage of the plane shows it took off over a residential area before disappearing from view, leaving a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Indian TV channels have shown footage of passengers and local residents being shifted to hospital in ambulances.
The total number of passengers remains unclear, with some reports suggesting there were 242 people onboard while others say it had 220 passengers and 12 crew. The airline said 169 Indians, including a former chief minister, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian national were among the people onboard.
“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. “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,” he added.
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also in a post on X, said he was “saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred” in Ahmedabad. “I express my profound condolences to the people of India,” he added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the images emerging of the plane crash as “devastating.” He said he was being kept updated as the situation developed. “My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” he said.
The last fatal plane crash in India involved Air India Express when a Boeing-737 overshot a “table-top” runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India in 2020. The crash killed 21 people.