There appear to be no survivors from Air India flight AI-171, which was carrying 242 passengers to London and crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, June 12, the city's police chief told the news agency The Associated Press (AP). Of the 242 onboard, an Air India spokesperson said there were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
“It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,” Commissioner G.S. Malik told AP. He added that with the plane crashing in a residential area with offices, “some locals would have also died.”
Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a widebody, twin-engine plane, crashed at around 1.30 pm on Thursday afternoon, just after takeoff at 1.32 pm from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. This is the first major plane crash tragedy in India, which claimed the lives of more than 200 people.
The plane struck the top floor of the BJ Medical College and Hostel, where the hostel canteen was situated, and several students as well as staff were present at the time of the crash. As per reports, at least five medical students who were having lunch at the college pantry were killed, and several others were injured. Injured people were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Health Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi said, "Unfortunately, around 1:40 PM this afternoon, the plane met with an accident shortly after takeoff. The area where the crash occurred includes the hostel for students of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, staff quarters, and other nearby localities, who were injured."
Visuals shared on social media sites shows debries and scartered bodies at the Air India plane crash site. The Boeing plane 787-8 Dreamliner had pierced through the wall of a dining hall of the hostel, with food still visible on some of the plates.
A viral video shared on X, shows the plane flying at the low level and struggling to take altitued suddnly descended at certain distance from the runway and burst into flames as the direct aircraft to London loaded with fuel.
According to reports, the pilot sent out a mayday call shortly after take-off, when fell plane going to crash. There was no response after that to repeated calls from the air traffic controller.
On the Direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, along with State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, reached the crash site to assess the situation and the rescue operation.
Air India released hotline number for the passengers and their family members. "In addition to the dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444, we have added another hotline number for foreign nationals +91 8062779200. Air India requests media persons not to call the dedicated passenger hotline number," Air India in a post on X.