Air India Flight to London With 242 Passengers Crashes Near Ahmedabad Airport

Air India Flight to London: A London-bound Boeing Dreamliner operated by Air India, carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after taking off near the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday in potentially one of the deadliest air disasters in the country in nearly three decades.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Police Commissioner regarding the plane crash.

The aircraft struck a building identified as a doctors’ hostel, triggering a fire and widespread panic.

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The building on which it has crashed is a doctor's hostel... we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told reporters.

Of the 242 people onboard, 217 were adults and 11 were children, an Air India source told Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that the aircraft took off from Runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST and crashed shortly.

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The plane slammed into a hostel for doctors of a medical college, killing five students. Visuals from the crash site show debris had pierced through the wall of a dining hall of the hostel, with food still visible on some of the plates.

A video of the aircraft flying low and struggling to gain altitude shows the plane slamming the ground and exploding in a massive ball of fire at 1.38 pm. It was loaded with fuel since it was flying a long distance to London.

Shortly after take-off, the pilot sent out a mayday call. There was no response after that to repeated calls from the air traffic controller, say reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and wrote, "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."

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