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An Air India passenger plane carrying more than 200 people crashed Thursday after taking off from an airport in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, with reports now emerging of at least one survivor after a police official earlier said it appeared there weren’t any.
Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. There were 242 passengers and crew members onboard the flight.
First responders found at least one survivor who was in seat 11A next to an emergency exit onboard the plane, Vidhi Chaudhary, a state police officer, told Reuters.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” that man, Ramesh Viswashkumar, was quoted as telling the Hindustan Times. “It all happened so quickly.”
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“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me,” the 40-year-old also said, according to Reuters. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
The Hindustan Times posted an image of a boarding pass matching the man’s name and seat number, with a stamp indicating a Thursday, June 12 departure from Ahmedabad.
Chaudhary told Reuters that “Approximately 294 have died” and “This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying.”
The Associated Press also reported that at least one person survived the crash, citing a doctor at a hospital who spoke to the Press Trust of India. However, it added that it could not independently verify the information.
Relatives of Viswashkumar told Sky News they have spoken to him since the crash. He reportedly lives in London.
Earlier, Ahmedabad’s city police commissioner, G.S. Malik, told the AP that “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash.”
The cause of the disaster is unclear. In videos circulating on social media purportedly showing the crash, the plane is seen with its nose raised up as it slowly descended to the ground, before bursting into a massive fireball.
Local media showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in northwestern India. The plane issued a “mayday” call to air traffic control before plunging out of the sky, Reuters reported.
“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran wrote on X.
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted,” Chandrasekaran added.
Air India said of those onboard the plane, 169 are from India, 53 are from Britain, 7 are from Portugal and 1 is from Canada. The injured are being taken to local hospitals.
“The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told Reuters.
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The Federal Aviation Administration said “The FAA is in contact with the NTSB regarding Air India flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad (AMD) to London Gatwick (LGW), that was involved in an accident in India on Thursday, June 12.
“When an international incident occurs, that government leads the investigation. In the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official U.S. representative and the FAA provides technical support. We stand ready to launch a team immediately in coordination with the NTSB,” it added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.
“It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,” he said.
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer added.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site.
“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he said.
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, Flightradar24 reported.
“We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected,” Boeing said in a statement.
In August 2020 an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people.
The worst air disaster in India was on Nov. 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhastan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 on board the two planes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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