A London-bound passenger plane crashed Thursday in India’s western city of Ahmedabad with 242 on board, aviation officials said in what the airline called a “tragic accident”.
Air India’s flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff, officials said.
India’s aviation minister said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash in Ahmedabad, where an AFP journalist saw thick plumes of black smoke over the airport.
India’s civil aviation authority said “there were 242 person on board” including two pilots and 10 cabin crew.
The Air India plane issued a mayday call and “crashed immediately after takeoff”, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.
The civil aviation authority said the plane crashed outside the airport perimeter.
Ahmedabad, the main city of India’s Gujarat state, is home of around eight million people, and the busy airport is located surrounded by densely packed residential areas.
Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu directed “all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action.”
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he added.
“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”