A London-bound Air India flight has crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, with over 242 souls believed to be on board.
The flight AI171 crashed upon departure from Ahmedabad Airport en route to London’s Gatwick airport on Wednesday evening.
Images from the city showed thick smoke rising into the sky, with crowds gathering and traffic halted nearby.
Also, all flights out of Ahmedabad have been halted until further notice, with the airport authorities asking passengers to check with their airlines before proceeding to the airport.
Rescue operations are still ongoing as of press time, but it is believed there are no survivors.
The passenger jet, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into a building under construction.
Some vehicles were damaged on ground as footages from the crash showed.
India’s Minister of Civil Aviation said he was “shocked and devastated” to learn about the plane crash in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu wrote on X.
