Air India Flight to London Crashes Near Ahmedabad, All 242 Onboard Feared Dead
In a devastating aviation tragedy, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed just five minutes after take-off on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, went down in a residential area of Meghani Nagar shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM IST. Visuals from the site showed the aircraft engulfed in flames and thick black smoke rising over the area.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that a mayday call was made to Air Traffic Control before all communication ceased. The crash site, reportedly a doctors’ hostel, witnessed an immediate response from emergency services, including seven fire engines and multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The DGCA has dispatched officials already present in Ahmedabad to oversee investigations, while flight operations at the airport have been temporarily halted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Ahmedabad and coordinate relief efforts. Air India acknowledged the incident on social media, stating they are working to gather further information. Authorities have identified the aircraft as VT-ANB, which had flown earlier in the day from Delhi to Ahmedabad. The full passenger manifest includes 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
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