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Business Recorder
3 days ago
- General
- Business Recorder
All 242 people on board Air India plane have died, Indian Express reports
AHMEDABAD: All 242 people on board the Air India plane that crashed on Thursday in Ahmedabad have died, local newspaper Indian Express said, citing police. The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said had said earlier. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run B.J. Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Five Indian aircraft shot down Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,' Air India said on X. 'The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.' Crash just after take-off The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. 'My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,' Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. Boeing shares fall 8% after Air India plane crashes According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. U.S. aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said one problematic sign from videos of the aircraft was that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up. 'If you didn't know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,' Brickhouse said. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8% to $199.13 in pre-market trade. Aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace said that it would put a team together to go to India and analyse cockpit data, India's CNBC TV18 reported. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were 'devastating', and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. Modi's home state The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately. Ahmedabad is the main city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The airport is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate. 'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,' Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X. 'Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground,' he said. The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Death toll climbs from passenger plane crash in India
More than 100 people have been killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad, authorities say, in one of the nation's worst aviation disasters. The plane was on Thursday headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. "The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel ... we have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon," a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. It showed a visual of a portion of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers said at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site and that more people were trapped. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Australia's High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai are urgently following up with the local authorities to find out whether any Australians were on board, a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X. "The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals." The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. "My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed," Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. "My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries," she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8 per cent to $US199.13 in pre-market trade. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "It is heartbreaking beyond words." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were "devastating", and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. More than 100 people have been killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad, authorities say, in one of the nation's worst aviation disasters. The plane was on Thursday headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. "The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel ... we have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon," a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. It showed a visual of a portion of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers said at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site and that more people were trapped. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Australia's High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai are urgently following up with the local authorities to find out whether any Australians were on board, a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X. "The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals." The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. "My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed," Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. "My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries," she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8 per cent to $US199.13 in pre-market trade. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "It is heartbreaking beyond words." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were "devastating", and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. More than 100 people have been killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad, authorities say, in one of the nation's worst aviation disasters. The plane was on Thursday headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. "The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel ... we have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon," a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. It showed a visual of a portion of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers said at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site and that more people were trapped. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Australia's High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai are urgently following up with the local authorities to find out whether any Australians were on board, a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X. "The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals." The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. "My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed," Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. "My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries," she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8 per cent to $US199.13 in pre-market trade. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "It is heartbreaking beyond words." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were "devastating", and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. More than 100 people have been killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad, authorities say, in one of the nation's worst aviation disasters. The plane was on Thursday headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. "The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel ... we have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon," a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. It showed a visual of a portion of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers said at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site and that more people were trapped. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Australia's High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai are urgently following up with the local authorities to find out whether any Australians were on board, a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X. "The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals." The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. "My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed," Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. "My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries," she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8 per cent to $US199.13 in pre-market trade. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "It is heartbreaking beyond words." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were "devastating", and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated.
Business Times
3 days ago
- General
- Business Times
All 242 people perish as Air India plane crashes near Ahmedabad: report
[AHMEDABAD] All 242 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday (Jun 12), local newspaper Indian Express said, citing police. The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel... we have cleared almost 70 to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run BJ Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The site of Air India flight AI171 crash near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Jun 12. PHOTO: EPA-EFE The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,' Air India said on X. 'The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.' The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. 'My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,' Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39 pm (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. US aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said one problematic sign from videos of the aircraft was that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up. 'If you did not know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,' Brickhouse said. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8 per cent to US$199.13 in pre-market trade. Aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace said that it would put a team together to go to India and analyse cockpit data, India's CNBC TV18 reported. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were 'devastating', and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately. Ahmedabad is the main city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The airport is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate. 'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,' Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X. 'Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground,' he said. Singapore Airlines also extended its deepest condolences to all passengers, crew members and their families affected by Air India flight AI171. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted during this difficult time. We offer our full support and all necessary assistance to Air India during this time,' it said in a statement. The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines which has a 25 per cent stake in it – in 2024. REUTERS
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- General
- Business Recorder
More than 100 killed as Air India plane with 242 on board crashes near Ahmedabad
AHMEDABAD: More than 100 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, one of the country's worst aviation disasters. The plane was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a residential area near the airport. More than 100 bodies, most of them badly charred, had been brought to the local government hospital for autopsy, police said. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. India's CNN News-18 TV channels said the plane crashed on top of the dining area of state-run B.J. Medical College hostel, killing many medical students as well. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Five Indian aircraft shot down Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,' Air India said on X. 'The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.' Crash just after take-off The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. 'My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,' Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, told news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. Boeing shares fall 8% after Air India plane crashes According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. U.S. aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said one problematic sign from videos of the aircraft was that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up. 'If you didn't know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,' Brickhouse said. Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Boeing shares fell 6.8% to $199.13 in pre-market trade. Aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace said that it would put a team together to go to India and analyse cockpit data, India's CNBC TV18 reported. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were 'devastating', and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. Modi's home state The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed it to ensure all support was extended to the rescue efforts immediately. Ahmedabad is the main city in Modi's home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The airport is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate. 'We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,' Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X. 'Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground,' he said. The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash. The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
At the scene in Ahmedabad: 'Everyone is running trying to save as many lives as possible'
The scene in Ahmedabad after the Air India passenger plane crashed shortly after take off is shocking. A few hours after the accident, smoke can still be seen rising from the ruins of buildings at the crash site. Pictures show a burnt bed frame lying in the street. Everyone is running, trying to save as many lives as possible when the BBC arrives at the scene. Firefighters can be seen picking their way across the burnt ground, attempting to put out the still smouldering wreckage with their hoses. Ambulances are all over the area. Roads are blocked. On the edges, people whose relatives were travelling to London have started to gather. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner came down shortly after take off on Thursday afternoon local time, bound for London Gatwick. There were 242 people on board - mainly Indian nationals, but many British, and some Portuguese and a Canadian as well. People in the western Indian city heard a loud sound first, then watched black smoke billowing into the sky. "I was at home when we heard a massive sound," one Ahmedabad resident told Indian news agency PTI. "When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered all over." The plane came down on a doctors' hostel near the Civil Hospital, a short distance from the airport. It is unclear how many people were inside. According to one eyewitness, people were seen jumping from as high as the third flood "to save themselves". "The plane was in flames," the unnamed resident told AFP news agency. "We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital." Ramila told Indian news agency ANI that her son, who had just returned to the hostel for lunch, was among those who jumped. He suffered injuries, but is safe, she added. Outside, people started to gather. The fire service was joined by volunteers from the local community. Photos show people being carried off on stretchers, and placed into ambulances. But also in the crowds were people whose family members were on board the flight. Poonam Patel, who is at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, told ANI that his sister-in-law was on the flight to London. "Within an hour, I got the news that the plane had crashed. So I came here."
