NewzVille Desk
In a tragic incidence, an Air India Dreamliner (Flight AI-171), bound for London-Gatwick, crashed into a residential locality in Meghani Nagar shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft was carrying 242 people, including 232 passengers and 10 crew members.
The Boeing 787, registered VT-ANB, took off at 1:38 PM and lost contact within minutes, crashing five minutes later into a densely populated area. The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with First Officer Clive Kundar. Onboard were 230 adults and two infants.
Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing following the crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad this afternoon. Emergency teams are working at the site in MeghaniNagar to assist survivors and transport the injured to hospitals via a green corridor established by authorities.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has activated an Operational Control Room in New Delhi to coordinate response efforts. The public can contact the ministry on 011-24610843 or 9650391859 for updates and assistance regarding the incident.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief over the incident, calling it “heartbreaking beyond words” in a post on X. He said he had spoken with ministers and local officials, and assured that all possible assistance was being provided to those affected by the disaster.
Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed deep sorrow over the crash. “Pained beyond words,” he wrote on X, adding that disaster response teams had been rushed to the site. Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner to review the situation.
Rescue and relief operations were launched immediately, with airport emergency services, fire units, and disaster response forces working tirelessly at the crash site. Local hospitals have been placed on high alert.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Home Minister Shah are on their way to Ahmedabad to personally supervise the ongoing rescue operations. Meanwhile, a full investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the fatal crash.
