Share this @internewscast.com

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — A passenger airplane from Air India heading to London with 244 individuals on board crashed Thursday in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad, according to the airline and local media.

Footage aired on local TV channels displayed plumes of smoke rising from the crash scene near Ahmedabad’s airport, a city with over 5 million residents.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, informed The Associated Press that Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes post takeoff at 1:38 p.m. local time.

There were 232 passengers and 12 crew members onboard the flight, which had been bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, Kidwai said.

Gatwick posted on X that it could confirm the flight, which had been due 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 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, according to the flightradar24 website.

Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said at the moment “our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.”

He said on X that the airline had set up an emergency center and support team for families seeking information about those who were on the flight.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Ex-Holston Valley ICU Nurse Faces Indictment: TBI Report Reveals Details

KINGSPORT, Tenn. — A former nurse from the intensive care unit at…

Sullivan Co. Man Faces Charges for Alleged Assault in Secluded Area

Authorities in Sullivan County, Tennessee, have detained a Bristol, Virginia resident following…

Florida Road Rage Incident: Man Receives 50-Year Sentence for Fatal Shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a long-awaited conclusion to a tragic case, Nael…

Man Admits Guilt in Farragut Park Restroom Camera Scandal: Hidden Device in Women’s Facilities Exposed

A Clinton resident has received a sentence after admitting to secretly placing…

Discover America’s Most Cringe-Inducing Buzzword of the Year

ORLANDO, Fla. — Preply has unveiled its compilation of this year’s most…

Savannah Guthrie’s Triumphant Return to ‘Today’ on April 6 Following Her Mother’s Disappearance

After a two-month hiatus following the unsettling disappearance of her 84-year-old mother,…

PetSmart Charities Contributes $25,000 to Support Sullivan County Animal Shelter

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — In a heartwarming boost for local animal welfare,…

Indonesia Enforces New Social Media Rules for Kids Under 16

JAKARTA – On Saturday, Indonesia rolled out a groundbreaking regulation that prohibits…

Florida Governor DeSantis Enacts Seven New Laws: Comprehensive Overview and Implications

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a move that expands his legislative portfolio, Florida…

Rubio Refutes Zelenskyy’s Allegation: U.S. Did Not Propose Ukraine Land Cession to Russia for Security Agreement

PARIS – On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio firmly denied…