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New Straits Times
a day ago
- General
- New Straits Times
India plane crash: What we know so far
PARIS: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed on Thursday after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad bound for London, with officials saying that just one person on the jet survived and at least 24 people on the ground died. Police said 265 bodies had been taken to hospital in the main city of India's western state of Gujarat. Here is what we know so far about what is believed to be the first deadly accident for Boeing's Dreamliner: The Boeing 787-8 jet heading for London's Gatwick Airport left Ahmedabad with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. Air India's flight 171 issued a mayday call and crashed "immediately after takeoff", around 1:40 pm (0810 GMT), India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Videos posted on social media, which AFP was not able to immediately verify, showed the jet losing altitude – with its nose up – before it hit a medical staff hostel and exploded into a ball of fire. Air India said the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian. The plane smashed into a building housing doctors and their families in a crowded residential area of Ahmedabad, a city home to about eight million people. At the site of the crash between a hospital and the Ghoda Camp neighbourhood, an AFP journalist saw people recovering bodies and firefighters spraying water on the smouldering wreckage. A resident, who declined to be named, said: "We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames." "When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames," another resident, Poonam Patni, told AFP, adding that many of the bodies were burned. A doctor named Krishna said that "the nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch." He said he saw "about 15 to 20 burned bodies", while he and his colleagues rescued around 15 students. One survivor was confirmed by Dhananjay Dwivedi, principal secretary of Gujarat state's health department, to AFP. Police said 265 bodies had been recovered from the site. Ahmadabad airport closed with all flights suspended until further notice. Air India chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information. Tata Group, owners of Air India, offered financial aid of 10 million rupees ($117,000) to the families of each victim and promised to cover the medical expenses of the injured. India's Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said a formal investigation had been started and US plane maker Boeing said it was "working to gather more information" on the incident to help Air India. The British and US accident investigation agencies said they had sent teams to support the Indian inquiry. A source close to the case said this was the first time a 787 Dreamliner had crashed. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the pride of the US company's catalogue for long-distance planes: a fuel-efficient, wide-body, lightweight aircraft able to transport up to 330 people. — AFP
Observer
a day ago
- General
- Observer
Flames and smoke in aftermath of crashed India passenger jet
AHMEDABAD: Thick black plumes of acrid smoke towered high above India's Ahmedabad airport on Thursday after a London-bound passenger jet with 242 people aboard crashed shortly after takeoff. Police said there appeared to be no survivors, with the plane smashing into a residential area. Several videos posted on the social media showed an aircraft rapidly losing altitude — with its nose up — before it hit a building and exploded into an orange ball of fire. Authorities said it went down outside the airport perimeter, in a crowded residential area while a reporter in the city said the plane crashed between a hospital and the city's Ghoda Camp neighbourhood. A medic described how the burning plane had smashed into a residential block that is home to medical students and young doctors. "One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who gave only one name, adding he saw "about 15-20 burnt bodies" in the wreckage and debris. It was not clear whether the dead he had seen had been killed on board the plane, or had been in the building the aircraft ploughed into. "The nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch," he said, adding he and colleagues had "rescued some 15 students from the building and sent them to hospital". "When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames," resident Poonam Patni said. "Many of the bodies were burned", she added. Another resident, who declined to be named, said: "We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames. "We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital." Air India's flight 171 — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff around 1:40 pm, officials said. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Two pilots and 10 cabin crew were also aboard. Firefighters work at the site where Air India Flight 171 crashed. — AFP At the crash site, firefighters could be seen trying to control flames on the burning plane debris that also charred trees. One video, from social media but posted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, showed what appeared to be a chunk of fuselage — larger than a car — that had smashed onto the roof of a multi-storey building. Photographs released by India's Central Industrial Security Force, a paramilitary police force, showed a large chunk of the plane that had smashed through the brick and concrete wall of a building. "I was at home when we heard a massive sound," one Ahmedabad resident told 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." Outside Ahmedabad airport, a woman wailing inconsolably in grief said that five of her relatives had been aboard the plane. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he was shocked by the crash of a London-bound passenger plane with 242 people on board and offered his support to those affected. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words," Modi said in a message posted on social media site X after the Air India flight crashed near the city in western India. "In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it," he said, adding he had "been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected". — AFP
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
India plane crash: What we know
PARIS: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed on Thursday after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad bound for London, with officials saying that just one person on the jet survived and at least 24 people on the ground died. Police said 265 bodies had been taken to hospital in the main city of India's western state of Gujarat. Here is what we know so far about what is believed to be the first deadly accident for Boeing's Dreamliner: - What happened? - The Boeing 787-8 jet heading for London's Gatwick Airport left Ahmedabad with 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew. Air India's flight 171 issued a mayday call and crashed 'immediately after takeoff', around 1:40 pm (0810 GMT), India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Videos posted on social media, which AFP was not able to immediately verify, showed the jet losing altitude -- with its nose up -- before it hit a medical staff hostel and exploded into a ball of fire. Air India said the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian. - Scenes of horror - The plane smashed into a building housing doctors and their families in a crowded residential area of Ahmedabad, a city home to about eight million people. At the site of the crash between a hospital and the Ghoda Camp neighbourhood, an AFP journalist saw people recovering bodies and firefighters spraying water on the smouldering wreckage. A resident, who declined to be named, said: 'We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames.' 'When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames,' another resident, Poonam Patni, told AFP, adding that many of the bodies were burned. A doctor named Krishna said that 'the nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch.' He said he saw 'about 15 to 20 burned bodies', while he and his colleagues rescued around 15 students. - 'One survivor' - One survivor was confirmed by Dhananjay Dwivedi, principal secretary of Gujarat state's health department, to AFP. Police said 265 bodies had been recovered from the site. Ahmadabad airport closed with all flights suspended until further notice. Air India chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said an emergency centre had been activated and a support team set up for families seeking information. Tata Group, owners of Air India, offered financial aid of 10 million rupees ($117,000) to the families of each victim and promised to cover the medical expenses of the injured. - Boeing investigating the incident - India's Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said a formal investigation had been started and US plane maker Boeing said it was 'working to gather more information' on the incident to help Air India. The British and US accident investigation agencies said they had sent teams to support the Indian inquiry. A source close to the case said this was the first time a 787 Dreamliner had crashed. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the pride of the US company's catalogue for long-distance planes: a fuel-efficient, wide-body, lightweight aircraft able to transport up to 330 people.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
'Burnt bodies': Ahmedabad students were 'having lunch' when plane crashed into canteen
[Editor's Note: Follow KT's live blog for all the latest updates on the Ahmedabad plane crash.] Thick black plumes of acrid smoke towered high above India's Ahmedabad airport Thursday after a London-bound passenger jet with 242 people aboard crashed shortly after takeoff. While officials initially said everyone aboard was feared dead, state health official Dhananjay Dwivedi told AFP later that one passenger had survived after the plane smashed into a residential area. A medic described how the burning plane had smashed into a residential block that is home to medical students and young doctors. "One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who gave only one name, adding he saw "about 15-20 burnt bodies" in the wreckage and debris. It was not clear whether the dead he had seen had been killed on board the plane, or had been in the building the aircraft ploughed into. "The nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch," he said, adding he and colleagues had "rescued some 15 students from the building and sent them to hospital". "When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames," resident Poonam Patni told AFP. "Many of the bodies were burned", she added. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Another resident, who declined to be named, said: "We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames. We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital." Air India's flight 171 — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport — crashed shortly after takeoff around 1.40pm IST, officials said. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Two pilots and 10 cabin crew were also aboard. Rescue teams supported by the military had recovered 290 bodies, police said, with people aboard the plane and those on the ground among the dead. Some 41 people were being treated at local hospitals. 'Massive sound' At the crash site, firefighters could be seen trying to control flames on the burning plane debris that also charred trees. One video, from social media but posted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, showed what appeared to be a chunk of fuselage — larger than a car — that had smashed onto the roof of a multi-storey building. Photographs released by India's Central Industrial Security Force, a paramilitary police force, showed a large chunk of the plane that had smashed through the brick and concrete wall of a building. "I was at home when we heard a massive sound," one Ahmedabad resident told 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." Outside Ahmedabad airport, a woman wailing inconsolably in grief said that five of her relatives had been aboard the plane.
The Journal
2 days ago
- General
- The Journal
'Many of the bodies were burned': Black smoke rises over the scene of the Air India plane crash
THICK BLACK PLUMES of acrid smoke towered high above India's Ahmedabad airport today after a London-bound passenger jet with 242 people aboard crashed shortly after takeoff. Local police have said there appear to be no survivors. Several videos posted on social media showed an aircraft, nose up, rapidly losing altitude over a residential area before it hit a building and exploded in a ball of fire. An AFP reporter in the city said the plane crashed in an area between a hospital and the city's Ghoda Camp neighbourhood. Authorities said it went down outside the airport perimeter, in a crowded residential area, which local media said included a hostel where medical students and young doctors live. Footage shows the tail of an Air India plane wedged in a roof following a crash in Ahmedabad. There were 53 Britons on board the plane when it crashed, according to the airline and 169 are Indians, seven are Portuguese and one is Canadian. — Sky News (@SkyNews) June 12, 2025 Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into a residential building as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke. Pieces of the aircraft's landing gear, fuselage and tail could all be seen protruding from the building. People look at debris from the plane crash in Ahmedabad Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames,' Poonam Patni told the AFP news agency. Many of the bodies were burned. Another resident, who declined to be named, said: 'We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames. Advertisement 'We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital.' Air India's flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff around 1:40 pm (local time), officials said. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Two pilots and 10 cabin crew were also aboard. VIDEO | Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Latest visuals from the crash site of the Gatwick (London)-bound Air India Boeing 787-8, which was carrying 242 passengers and crew and nosedived shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport this afternoon. (Full video… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025 'Massive sound' At the crash site, firefighters could be seen trying to control flames on the burning plane debris that also charred trees. One video, from social media posted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, showed what appeared to be a chunk of fuselage – larger than a car – that had smashed onto the roof of a multi-storey building. People look at the debris of an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Photographs released by India's Central Industrial Security Force, a paramilitary police force, showed a large chunk of the plane that had smashed through the brick and concrete wall of a building. 'I was at home when we heard a massive sound,' one Ahmedabad resident told 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.' Outside Ahmedabad airport, a woman wailing inconsolably in grief said that five of her relatives had been aboard the plane. For updates, you can follow our live blog here . With reporting from AFP and Press Association Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
