An Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed shortly after taking off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, 12 June.
The aircraft was en route to Gatwick Airport in the UK, Air India said, while police reported that it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. The plane plunged into the Meghani area of the city, sending up a massive plume of black smoke and triggering an immediate emergency response.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft was carrying 242 people: 217 adults and 11 children. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 43 were British, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian.
“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X.
Multiple fire engines and ambulances were dispatched to the crash site to carry out rescue operations. Officials have yet to release a statement on the suspected cause of the crash. Visuals from the scene showed debris ablaze, with thick black smoke rising into the sky near the airport.
India’s aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash, adding that his “thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families”.
“I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he said in a statement.
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