Air India passenger plane ‘carrying up to 242 people heading for UK' crashes in fireball near Ahmedabad Airport
A PASSENGER plane heading towards the UK has crash landed in India with plumes of black smoke seen billowing through the sky.
Up to 242 people were reportedly on board the Air India aircraft as it plummeted towards the ground near to an airport in Ahmedabad.
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A plane has crash landed in India with plumes of black smoke seen billowing through the sky
Credit: X
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Emergency officials rushed to the site of the crash
Credit: X
Officials are yet to comment on if there are any casualties.
The plane was headed to the UK, an aviation source told Reuters.
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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Family posted heartbreaking last selfie inside Air India plane just before crash
A family shared a tragic selfie on board the doomed Air India Flight 171 just minutes before it crashed. The family of five from Rajasthan included Komi Vyas and husband Prateek Joshi, both doctors, seen sitting on the aisle opposite their children, all with beaming smiles. Joshi had moved to London a few years ago and his family were set to join him in the British capital, reports The Mirror. But just a few minutes later, the flight would crash in a residential area of Ahmedabad with 241 of the 242 people on board killed. One British national is understood to be the sole survivor of the disaster. A spokesperson for Pacific Hospital where Komi worked said: "Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London." Neighbours told the network that Joshi's dad is a well-respected radiologist in the city. "They left for Amedabad yesterday to take the flight to London," Joshi's cousin Nayan said. "Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. Several other members of both families went to see them off." Vyas' brother told NDTV the couple had been married for 10 years. The doomed Air India flight had been bound for London Gatwick when it crashed into a fireball on Thursday. Of the 242 people on board the plane, 53 were said to be British and 11 of the passengers were children. Officials have recovered 200 bodies so far. Harrowing images from the disaster showed the plane flying low over several buildings before it crashed. Indian officials have since launched an investigation into the crash. Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV: "The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason." So far, British national Vishwash Kumar Rames, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the disaster. Speaking in Hindi, he said: "I just got out of the plane, it exploded." Taking to X/Twitter following the crash, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted: "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. "In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected."
Irish Times
an hour ago
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Air India disaster: rescue teams with sniffer dogs search site of plane crash that killed more than 260 people
Rescue teams with sniffer dogs are continuing to search the crash site of Air India flight 171 , which ploughed into a residential area of India's Ahmedabad city on Thursday, killing all but one of 242 passengers and crew on board. Kanan Desai, a senior police official in the city, said 265 bodies had so far been counted, suggesting at least 24 people died on the ground. The plane crashed into a hostel housing medical students, doctors and their families, with the nose and front wheel landing on a canteen building where students were having lunch, witnesses said. Grieving families are giving DNA samples to doctors in Ahmedabad to help identify the victims. READ MORE India's home minister, Amit Shah, has said the final death toll would only be known after the DNA testing had been completed on the victims' remains. Rescue workers at the crash site of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Photograph: Siddharaj Solanki/Bloomberg One of two black boxes has been found, according to a report by local newspaper Hindustan Times. The Indian government is considering grounding Air India's Boeing 787 fleet in the wake of the crash. On Thursday night, the federal civil aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said a formal investigation had been initiated in line with international protocols. The Indian-led investigation will include experts from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, because of the number of British victims, the US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing. India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, visiting the crash site and a hospital where wounded are being treated. 'The scene of devastation is saddening,' he said, adding that teams were 'working tirelessly in the aftermath'. 'Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy,' he said. The sole survivor from the plane, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was being treated in hospital. A medic said Mr Ramesh was disoriented with multiple injuries, but that he seemed to be out of danger. Eyewitness footage has captured the moment an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed immediately after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Video: Reuters Local doctors said the British man has been walking and, other than a few scratches, all of the tests they have performed show he is miraculously unharmed. Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India, also visited the site of the crash on Friday morning but did not answer media questions. In a statement on Thursday he expressed his 'deep sorrow' at the incident, and said Air India would 'continue to share accurate and timely information'. Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Dehli and Ahmedabad airports to provide support. Tata Group, owners of Air India, offered financial aid of 10 million rupees ($117,000 USD) to the families of each person who has lost their life, as well as funds to cover medical expenses of those injured. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has cancelled plans to attend the Paris Air Show next week, as shares in the company finished down nearly 5 per cent on Thursday. US transport secretary Sean Duffy said there is 'no indication' of safety concerns with the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the aircraft model involved in the deadly crash. Speaking at a news conference, Mr Duffy stressed that the investigation remains in its early stages and that no conclusions have yet been drawn. Air India crash: Relatives of a victim mourn after hearing the news of their death in Ahmedabad, western India. Photograph: EPA World leaders have expressed grief and solidarity after the crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said he was 'deeply saddened' by the tragedy and 'wishes a swift and full recovery to those who were injured'. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of India, as well as to all countries whose citizens were affected by this tragedy. Air India also announced on X that they are diverting 16 flights due to Israel's bombing of Iran . – Guardian
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Narendra Modi arrives at crash site as exhausted doctors toil to identify bodies
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