An Air India plane carrying 242 people, including 53 British nationals, has crashed in a residential area near Ahmedabad Airport shortly after take-off, with authorities saying there appear to be no survivors.
Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, departed Ahmedabad at 1.38pm local time on Thursday but came down minutes later, striking residential quarters of the BJ Medical College in the Meghaninagar area of Gujarat state.
Footage circulating online showed a fireball and thick black smoke billowing from the crash site. A large section of the aircraft’s tail was also seen lodged in the building’s rooftop.
More than 200 bodies have been recovered, according to senior police officer Kanan Desai, though it remains unclear how many of the dead were passengers and how many were on the ground.
“This is a devastating scene,” Desai told Reuters. “We are continuing search and recovery efforts in extremely difficult conditions.”
Air India confirmed the aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. The airline said the injured were being transported to nearby hospitals.
The crash is believed to be the first involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model which has made over five million flights since its commercial debut in 2011.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his shock, calling the crash “heartbreaking beyond words”. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said emergency teams had been dispatched and all efforts were being made to provide aid and support.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was being kept updated, while the King and Queen said they were “desperately shocked” by the tragedy and extended their “deepest possible sympathy” to all affected.
London Gatwick Airport confirmed that a reception centre was being established for relatives. The UK Foreign Office said it was working with Indian authorities to support British nationals.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft lost signal less than a minute after take-off.
Aviation expert Julian Bray said the crew had issued a mayday call, indicating they were aware of a critical issue before the crash.
Air India, now owned by Tata Group, operates more than 8,000 weekly flights. Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the crash as a “devastating event” and said the airline’s priority was supporting those affected.
Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and ready to assist with the investigation.
