Air India plane carrying 242 crashes in India en route to United Kingdom
LONDON and DELHI — An Air India airliner carrying 242 passengers and crew en route to the United Kingdom from India crashed shortly after takeoff in an area near the Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, local officials and the airline said.
“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, the airline said in a statement posted on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near the airport, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner said Thursday.
“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.
The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport.
“Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the Directorate General said in the statement.
The Indian Civil Aviation Minister said he has “directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” to respond to the crash.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” the minister added.
The local governor, Bhupendra Patel, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash to coordinate their emergency response, officials said. Patel said he ordered a so-called “green corridor” for emergency vehicles to travel between the crash site and local hospitals.
The airline initially announced the crash in a statement on social media, saying the flight had been “involved in an incident,” adding that it was “ascertaining the details” of the incident.
The flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, according to FlightRadar24, a tracking site. It had been scheduled to depart at 9:50 a.m. local time, with a scheduled arrival time in London at 18:25 p.m. local time.
The captain had 8,200 hours of experience and the copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience, the Directorate General added.