An Air India plane traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed only five minutes after take-off this afternoon, the airline has confirmed. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight AI171 was carrying 242 individuals, comprising 230 passengers and 12 crew members—two pilots and ten cabin crew.
Among the total passengers, 169 were Indian nationals and 53 were British. Besides, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national were also present on board.
“The injured are being rushed to the nearest hospitals,” stated Air India in an official release. “We have also established a dedicated passenger hotline phone number 1800 5691 444 to give more information,” added the airline.
The plane departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM and crashed minutes later. FlightRadar data indicates that the aircraft soared to an altitude of only 625 feet before it crashed.
Ghastly images of the crash, now being shared online, depict the horrific moment the plane plummeted from the sky. Rescue and fire units arrived on the scene and are presently involved in frantic relief efforts.
All flights from the Ahmedabad airport have been halted until further notice due to the crash. The reason behind the crash is yet to be concluded.