Irish premier and president offer condolences after India plane crash
Ireland's premier and president have offered their condolences to the families of those who died after a London-bound plane crashed in India.
Air India said the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft was leaving Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people on board.
The airline said 169 passengers were Indian nationals, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese and one was Canadian.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: 'It is horrific and very, very sad what has happened in India, the plane (crash) just shortly after departure, I believe less than a minute.'
He added: 'Our thoughts and our prayers are with the families of those bereaved, crew members bereaved, and with the people of India, Britain and Canada. The world is a much closer place, we all travel.
'It is extremely sad and shocking that an accident of this scale has occurred with the loss of so much life.'
He noted that it took place close to the 40th anniversary of the Air India flight 182 disaster, in which the plane crashed off the coast of Ireland on June 23 1985 as a result of a terrorist attack.
'All of us who experienced that had a sense of trauma that people go through when crashes of this kind happen,' he said.
Irish deputy premier and minister for foreign affairs Simon Harris also extended his sympathy 'to all of those caught up' in the 'very tragic and horrific' crash.
'We think of all of them and their families in what is an evolving story, with no doubt, more information to come,' he told the Irish parliament.
Irish President Michael D Higgins said: 'May I express my deepest condolences to the families and communities of all those who have lost their lives in today's tragic airplane crash in the city of Ahmedabad, India.
'All of our thoughts are with those who are grieving those lost, be it passengers or those in the vicinity of the crash, as well as the emergency workers at the scene.
'As president, I extend the condolences of the Irish people to the president of India, HE Droupadi Murmu, His Majesty King Charles, and to the citizens and heads of state of all those countries who have been impacted by this tragic event.'
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