Regional
Air India plane crashes after takeoff in Ahmedabad
Early reports indicate the plane was carrying 242, including two pilots and 10 crew.
A Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, Air India Flight AI 171 bound for London Gatwick, crashed moments after take off from Ahmedabad international airport shortly after 1:35 pm India time today, Thursday June 12.
Early reports indicate the plane was carrying 242 on board including two pilots and 10 crew.
The aircraft lost radar contact near 625 feet altitude and plunged into the Meghani Nagar residential area five minutes after takeoff.
Eyewitnesses and local media reported large explosions and thick black smoke emerging from the crash site.
Emergency services personnel at the scene have indicated that the casualty toll will probably be quite high, but numbers remain unconfirmed.
At least three national disaster relief teams along with Ahmedabad firefighting units, ambulances, and police have been dispatched to the area.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu described himself as “shocked and devastated,” stating that “all aviation and emergency response units are on highest alert”; he is coordinating personally from the site, local media reported.
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed “deepest condolences” and confirmed that emergency support centres have been set up for family members.
The aircraft, registration VT‑ANB, was carrying 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian passengers, Reuters reported.
Ahmedabad Airport remains closed as authorities divert flights to nearby hubs .