AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — An Air India passenger airplane certain for London with 244 individuals onboard crashed Thursday in India’s northwestern metropolis of Ahmedabad, the airline and native media reported.
Visuals on native tv channels confirmed smoke billowing from the crash web site close to the airport in Ahmedabad, a metropolis with a inhabitants of greater than 5 million.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director basic of the directorate of civil aviation, informed The Related Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed right into a residential space referred to as Meghani Nagar 5 minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. native time.
There have been 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard the flight, which had been certain for London’s Gatwick Airport, Kidwai mentioned.
Gatwick posted on X that it might verify the flight, which had been attributable to arrive at 6:25 p.m. in London, had crashed on departure.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue groups have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to make sure medical assist and aid assist on the web site.
“We’re on highest alert. I’m personally monitoring the scenario,” he mentioned.
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine airplane. That is the primary crash ever of a Boeing 787 plane, in line with the Aviation Security Community database.
The plane was launched in 2009 and greater than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airways, in line with the flightradar24 web site.
Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, mentioned for the time being “our major focus is on supporting all of the affected individuals and their households.”
He mentioned on X that the airline had arrange an emergency middle and assist staff for households looking for details about those that had been on the flight.
“Our ideas and deepest condolences are with the households and family members of all these affected by this devastating occasion,” he mentioned.
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