At least 290 dead after India plane crash as sole survivor walks from wreckage

7NEWS3 days ago

At least 290 people have died after a plane bound for London crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from an airport in India's western city of Ahmedabad.
Images from the scene showed thick black smoke rising up into the sky after the Air India plane crashed, with part of the aircraft pictured resting on top of a building. Other images showed scorched trees and a fire-blackened building with first responders hosing down the area.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Plane crash kills hundreds in India.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
Among those killed were passengers on the flight, including some minors, local residents, and people who were inside the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel when the plane crashed into it, a senior doctor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where a majority of the dead and injured people were taken, told CNN.
The doctor added that t he death toll is likely to rise.
Air India said that 242 people were on board the plane, 169 of them Indian nationals and 53 British nationals. There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national, the airline added in a statement.
At least one passenger on board the flight survived, local police said. According to Reuters, local police said the man had been in seat 11A.
The Hindustan Times named the survivor as a British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, and said he was receiving treatment. What appears to be a copy of the flight manifest, shared by news agency IANS, lists Vishwash Kumar Ramesh as having been assigned seat 11A and boarded.
The Hindustan Times said it spoke to Ramesh in a local hospital, and quoted him as saying: 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.'
A senior police officer told reporters that the plane had hit a doctors' hostel belonging to the BJ Medical College and Hospital.
At least three medical students died, Swapnil Bhalodia of the Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network in Gujarat said.
Between 50 and 60 medical students have been admitted to local hospitals, according to the Federation of All India Medical Association. The statement said two or three students are in intensive care.
The flight, AI171, was bound for London's Gatwick Airport, where it was due to land at 6.25 p.m. local time (1.25 p.m. ET). A reception center has been set up at the airport to provide information and support to relatives of victims.
One video captured the moment the aircraft, gaining altitude after just taking off, suddenly began to descend in mid air, before crashing down in a huge plume of fire and smoke.
All flights out of Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were suspended following the incident. However, they have since resumed at a limited capacity, the airport said in a post on X.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the plane crash had 'stunned and saddened' the country. He described the incident as 'heartbreaking beyond words,' adding that he was in touch with the authorities involved in the disaster.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India, said that Air India Flight AI171 had been involved in a 'tragic accident.'
He added, 'We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes as 'devastating,' and said he is 'being kept updated as the situation develops.' He added that his 'thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.'
Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the UK House of Commons: 'This morning, we know that British nationals were on board. And Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that the (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London.'
The UK's King Charles said he and Queen Camilla are 'desperately shocked' by the 'terrible events' in Ahmedabad. He also paid tribute to the 'heroic efforts' of the emergency services and all those 'providing help and support at this most heartbreaking and traumatic time.'
The UK and India have strong cultural and historic ties and a complicated history dating back to Britain's colonial era. The UK has a large Indian diaspora – according to data from the British government, in 2021, 1.9 million people or 3.1% of the country's population identified as having Indian ethnicity.
Thursday's crash marks the first involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft first entered into service in 2011, according to Boeing's Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents.
According to Boeing, there are over 1,175 Dreamliners in service, which account for 2,100 flights each day.
Boeing issued a statement in wake of the crash, saying it is in contact with Air India and stands 'ready to support them.'
'Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected,' it added in an X post.

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Italian teenager set to become the first millennial saint

Perth Now

a day ago

Perth Now

Italian teenager set to become the first millennial saint

The canonisation of Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church's first millennial saint, will take place on September 7, Pope Leo XIV has announced. Acutis, an Italian teenager who died from leukaemia in 2006, will be declared a saint by Leo at a ceremony in St Peter's Square expected to be attended by thousands of young people. Acutis was just 15 when he died, but during his short life he used his computing skills to spread awareness of the Catholic faith by setting up a website that documented reports of miracles. The Vatican said on Friday that following a meeting with cardinals, Pope Leo will canonise Acutis in September, along with another youthful saint, Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 at age 24. Acutis' canonisation had been scheduled for April 27 but was postponed after the death of Pope Francis. The September 7 ceremony will be the first canonisation presided over by Pope Leo, the first American pontiff. Acutis, nicknamed God's influencer, has developed a strong following among young Catholics and beyond. The British-born Italian teenager, who loved video-gaming, is often depicted wearing jeans and trainers, making him a relatable figure to a new generation of Catholics. His canonisation also comes as recent surveys in the United Kingdom and United States show a rise in interest in Catholicism among Generation Z. The church's sainthood process normally requires that candidates have two miracles attributed to them, with each reported supernatural occurrence requiring in-depth examination. In May, a second miracle attributed to Acutis was recognised by Pope Francis, a decision that paved the way for the teen to be declared a saint. Acutis was beatified (declared 'blessed') in 2020 after his first miracle, when he reportedly healed a Brazilian boy with a birth defect that left him unable to eat normally. The boy was reportedly healed after his mother said she prayed to Acutis to intercede and help heal her son. The second miracle attributed to Acutis relates to the reported healing of a girl from Costa Rica who had suffered a head trauma after falling from her bicycle in Florence, Italy, where she was studying. Her mother said she prayed for her daughter's recovery at the tomb of Acutis in Assisi. Acutis' mother, Antonia Salzano, previously said that her son spent time helping the homeless in Milan and giving his pocket money to those sleeping on the street.

Italian teenager Carlo Acutis set to become the first millennial saint

7NEWS

a day ago

7NEWS

Italian teenager Carlo Acutis set to become the first millennial saint

'Die due to depression': woman's pet parrots denied entry to Australia

The Advertiser

2 days ago

The Advertiser

'Die due to depression': woman's pet parrots denied entry to Australia

A pair of "beautiful" green and blue-feathered "family members" has been denied entry to Australia because they pose too great a biosecurity risk. Shadoon and Shellman's owner has spent two years wrangling with authorities to bring her pet parrots into the country which she claims will "die due to depression and dependency" in Iran without her. Despite providing identity certificates, health checks and vaccination documents - and offering to fly the Indian ringneck parrots via Qatar to New Zealand for quarantining - the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry rejected Mehri Shafiei's import application. That decision was upheld on June 12 by the Administrative Review Tribunal. While accepting Ms Shafiei had gone to great lengths to reduce risks the birds could carry avian influenza or Newcastle disease into the country, tribunal member Stewart Fenwick said the evidence was consistent "there has been a high biosecurity risk identified". "The former carries grave implications for the Australian poultry industry and the latter is highly contagious," Mr Fenwick said in his decision in Melbourne. Mr Fenwick acknowledged Ms Shafiei, an Australian permanent resident, had experienced "depression over separation from Shadoon and Shellman" and had travelled to Isfahan in Iran where they live just to spend time with them. She described the parrots, aged nine and six, as "cute feathered family members". The tribunal heard the agriculture department received between 100 and 120 import applications each year like Ms Shafiei's, which were also denied. "It is evident that a policy decision was made some time ago to prohibit the import of psittacines, and that a considerable amount of effort has been invested in considering the future of this import trade," Mr Fenwick said. "It is not reasonable to take account of the sentimental importance of the pets to Ms Shafiei." He noted the birds had clear "sentimental importance" to their "devoted" owner. "It is important to observe that Ms Shafiei presents as a sincere and loving pet owner," he said. "I fully accept that she has cared for Shadoon and Shallman and, indeed, appears to have been so concerned about them that she spent additional time in Iran to be with them during the life of this application." In his decision, Mr Fenwick noted the Psittacula krameri species was a long-lived and popular pet and "a natural mimic". Shadoon and Shellman had "beautiful green and blue plumage respectively". "Unfortunately, the steps taken - largely it seems with a view to facilitating their import to Australia - including, in particular, vaccination, have not contributed to reducing the high level of biosecurity risk arising from the importation of psittacines from Iran," Mr Fenwick said. "As noted at the outset, publicly available information from the Victorian government indicates that this exotic species is identified as a pest, as unpleasant as this reality may seem to the applicant." Australia's strict biosecurity laws attracted international attention in 2015 when then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce decided US actor Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, would have to be put down or deported. Ms Shafiei originally applied for a permit to import the birds on June 23, 2023. This was refused by the agriculture department in July and October of the same year. She then applied to the Administrative Review Tribunal in November to have the decision reviewed. A pair of "beautiful" green and blue-feathered "family members" has been denied entry to Australia because they pose too great a biosecurity risk. Shadoon and Shellman's owner has spent two years wrangling with authorities to bring her pet parrots into the country which she claims will "die due to depression and dependency" in Iran without her. Despite providing identity certificates, health checks and vaccination documents - and offering to fly the Indian ringneck parrots via Qatar to New Zealand for quarantining - the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry rejected Mehri Shafiei's import application. That decision was upheld on June 12 by the Administrative Review Tribunal. While accepting Ms Shafiei had gone to great lengths to reduce risks the birds could carry avian influenza or Newcastle disease into the country, tribunal member Stewart Fenwick said the evidence was consistent "there has been a high biosecurity risk identified". "The former carries grave implications for the Australian poultry industry and the latter is highly contagious," Mr Fenwick said in his decision in Melbourne. Mr Fenwick acknowledged Ms Shafiei, an Australian permanent resident, had experienced "depression over separation from Shadoon and Shellman" and had travelled to Isfahan in Iran where they live just to spend time with them. She described the parrots, aged nine and six, as "cute feathered family members". The tribunal heard the agriculture department received between 100 and 120 import applications each year like Ms Shafiei's, which were also denied. "It is evident that a policy decision was made some time ago to prohibit the import of psittacines, and that a considerable amount of effort has been invested in considering the future of this import trade," Mr Fenwick said. "It is not reasonable to take account of the sentimental importance of the pets to Ms Shafiei." He noted the birds had clear "sentimental importance" to their "devoted" owner. "It is important to observe that Ms Shafiei presents as a sincere and loving pet owner," he said. "I fully accept that she has cared for Shadoon and Shallman and, indeed, appears to have been so concerned about them that she spent additional time in Iran to be with them during the life of this application." In his decision, Mr Fenwick noted the Psittacula krameri species was a long-lived and popular pet and "a natural mimic". Shadoon and Shellman had "beautiful green and blue plumage respectively". "Unfortunately, the steps taken - largely it seems with a view to facilitating their import to Australia - including, in particular, vaccination, have not contributed to reducing the high level of biosecurity risk arising from the importation of psittacines from Iran," Mr Fenwick said. "As noted at the outset, publicly available information from the Victorian government indicates that this exotic species is identified as a pest, as unpleasant as this reality may seem to the applicant." Australia's strict biosecurity laws attracted international attention in 2015 when then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce decided US actor Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, would have to be put down or deported. Ms Shafiei originally applied for a permit to import the birds on June 23, 2023. This was refused by the agriculture department in July and October of the same year. She then applied to the Administrative Review Tribunal in November to have the decision reviewed. A pair of "beautiful" green and blue-feathered "family members" has been denied entry to Australia because they pose too great a biosecurity risk. Shadoon and Shellman's owner has spent two years wrangling with authorities to bring her pet parrots into the country which she claims will "die due to depression and dependency" in Iran without her. Despite providing identity certificates, health checks and vaccination documents - and offering to fly the Indian ringneck parrots via Qatar to New Zealand for quarantining - the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry rejected Mehri Shafiei's import application. That decision was upheld on June 12 by the Administrative Review Tribunal. While accepting Ms Shafiei had gone to great lengths to reduce risks the birds could carry avian influenza or Newcastle disease into the country, tribunal member Stewart Fenwick said the evidence was consistent "there has been a high biosecurity risk identified". "The former carries grave implications for the Australian poultry industry and the latter is highly contagious," Mr Fenwick said in his decision in Melbourne. Mr Fenwick acknowledged Ms Shafiei, an Australian permanent resident, had experienced "depression over separation from Shadoon and Shellman" and had travelled to Isfahan in Iran where they live just to spend time with them. She described the parrots, aged nine and six, as "cute feathered family members". The tribunal heard the agriculture department received between 100 and 120 import applications each year like Ms Shafiei's, which were also denied. "It is evident that a policy decision was made some time ago to prohibit the import of psittacines, and that a considerable amount of effort has been invested in considering the future of this import trade," Mr Fenwick said. "It is not reasonable to take account of the sentimental importance of the pets to Ms Shafiei." He noted the birds had clear "sentimental importance" to their "devoted" owner. "It is important to observe that Ms Shafiei presents as a sincere and loving pet owner," he said. "I fully accept that she has cared for Shadoon and Shallman and, indeed, appears to have been so concerned about them that she spent additional time in Iran to be with them during the life of this application." In his decision, Mr Fenwick noted the Psittacula krameri species was a long-lived and popular pet and "a natural mimic". Shadoon and Shellman had "beautiful green and blue plumage respectively". "Unfortunately, the steps taken - largely it seems with a view to facilitating their import to Australia - including, in particular, vaccination, have not contributed to reducing the high level of biosecurity risk arising from the importation of psittacines from Iran," Mr Fenwick said. "As noted at the outset, publicly available information from the Victorian government indicates that this exotic species is identified as a pest, as unpleasant as this reality may seem to the applicant." Australia's strict biosecurity laws attracted international attention in 2015 when then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce decided US actor Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, would have to be put down or deported. Ms Shafiei originally applied for a permit to import the birds on June 23, 2023. This was refused by the agriculture department in July and October of the same year. She then applied to the Administrative Review Tribunal in November to have the decision reviewed. A pair of "beautiful" green and blue-feathered "family members" has been denied entry to Australia because they pose too great a biosecurity risk. Shadoon and Shellman's owner has spent two years wrangling with authorities to bring her pet parrots into the country which she claims will "die due to depression and dependency" in Iran without her. Despite providing identity certificates, health checks and vaccination documents - and offering to fly the Indian ringneck parrots via Qatar to New Zealand for quarantining - the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry rejected Mehri Shafiei's import application. That decision was upheld on June 12 by the Administrative Review Tribunal. While accepting Ms Shafiei had gone to great lengths to reduce risks the birds could carry avian influenza or Newcastle disease into the country, tribunal member Stewart Fenwick said the evidence was consistent "there has been a high biosecurity risk identified". "The former carries grave implications for the Australian poultry industry and the latter is highly contagious," Mr Fenwick said in his decision in Melbourne. Mr Fenwick acknowledged Ms Shafiei, an Australian permanent resident, had experienced "depression over separation from Shadoon and Shellman" and had travelled to Isfahan in Iran where they live just to spend time with them. She described the parrots, aged nine and six, as "cute feathered family members". The tribunal heard the agriculture department received between 100 and 120 import applications each year like Ms Shafiei's, which were also denied. "It is evident that a policy decision was made some time ago to prohibit the import of psittacines, and that a considerable amount of effort has been invested in considering the future of this import trade," Mr Fenwick said. "It is not reasonable to take account of the sentimental importance of the pets to Ms Shafiei." He noted the birds had clear "sentimental importance" to their "devoted" owner. "It is important to observe that Ms Shafiei presents as a sincere and loving pet owner," he said. "I fully accept that she has cared for Shadoon and Shallman and, indeed, appears to have been so concerned about them that she spent additional time in Iran to be with them during the life of this application." In his decision, Mr Fenwick noted the Psittacula krameri species was a long-lived and popular pet and "a natural mimic". Shadoon and Shellman had "beautiful green and blue plumage respectively". "Unfortunately, the steps taken - largely it seems with a view to facilitating their import to Australia - including, in particular, vaccination, have not contributed to reducing the high level of biosecurity risk arising from the importation of psittacines from Iran," Mr Fenwick said. "As noted at the outset, publicly available information from the Victorian government indicates that this exotic species is identified as a pest, as unpleasant as this reality may seem to the applicant." Australia's strict biosecurity laws attracted international attention in 2015 when then-agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce decided US actor Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, would have to be put down or deported. Ms Shafiei originally applied for a permit to import the birds on June 23, 2023. This was refused by the agriculture department in July and October of the same year. She then applied to the Administrative Review Tribunal in November to have the decision reviewed.