Ahmedabad Plane Crash LIVE Updates: More Than 30 Bodies Reportedly Recovered So Far

Ahmedabad Plane Crash LIVE Updates: Reuters reported, citing rescue workers, that at least 30 to 35 bodies have been recovered from a building at the site of Thursday's Air India crash near Ahmedabad airport, in which officials also said many people died. The Air India flight, which had 242 passengers onboard bound for London, crashed minutes after taking-off - into a building just past the airport perimeter.

The aircraft crashed into a building that was identified as a doctors' hostel, sparking a fire and panic among the public.

The flight was operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and was bound for Gatwick Airport in the UK. According to Air India, the passenger manifest was:

• 169 Indian nationals
• 53 British citizens
• 7 Portuguese nationals
• 1 Canadian citizen

Rescue operations are currently in progress at the site.

“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 on board, 217 were adults and 11 were children, an Air India source told Reuters.

“Air India B787 aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board… The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar,” the DGCA said in a statement.

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

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was a line training captain and had accrued 8,200+ hours. First Officer Clive Kundar had logged approximately 1,100 flying hours.

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Videos streamed on local television showed large, billowing black smoke and flames at the crash site. Images of emergency responders hauling injured passengers on stretchers were shown and emergency responders were rushing injured passengers to hospitals nearby.

Air traffic control officials have stated that the flight crew sent a "Mayday" call shortly after takeoff, and there was no communication after that before it crashed just outside the airport's exclusion zone.

Aircraft maker Boeing has been monitoring the incident. “We are aware of the initial reports and are working to gather more information,” the company said in a statement. 

Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani is feared to be on the flight, although this has not yet been verified.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed on the incident, is in touch with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, and directed both ministers to return to Ahmedabad to oversee relief efforts. The Prime Minister, via directions to officials, has also told them to provide every possible assistance to those impacted and expedite rescue and investigation efforts.

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