An Air India flight bound for London crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 787 aircraft was carrying around 232 passengers and 10 crew members.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:17 PM, with thick black smoke seen billowing from the Dharpur area near Meghaninagar. Firefighters and emergency response teams rushed to the scene.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft issued a MAYDAY call shortly after departure before losing contact with air traffic control. It then crashed outside the airport perimeter. The cause of the crash is yet to be officially determined.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel about the incident. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu is expected to arrive at the crash site soon.
Air India Crash live: As per a statement from aviation officials, the ATC stated that the Air India plane aircraft departed from Ahmadabad at 1339 IST from runway 23.
“It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” said officials.
The plane crashed outside the airport five minutes after takeoff.
Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: PM Modi speaks with civli aviation minister after Air India crash
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialed Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu after an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad.
The civil aviation minister is rushing to Ahmedabad to “oversee rescue and relief operations on the ground. The Prime Minister has directed the Minister to ensure all necessary support is extended immediately and asked to be kept regularly updated on the situation. All relevant agencies are on high alert, and coordinated efforts are underway,” said the official statement issued by office of HMCA
