Air India Flight Crashes After Takeoff in Ahmedaba...

Air India Flight Crashes After Takeoff in Ahmedabad, Over 240 Aboard

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday afternoon in Ahmedabad, a major city in western India. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, went down just minutes after departing for London’s Gatwick Airport, slamming into a building in a densely populated area.

“Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after takeoff,” the airline said in a statement posted on social media.

The aircraft took off at 1:38 p.m. local time. Onboard were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens. The airline confirmed that injured passengers were being transported to nearby hospitals, though the number of casualties remains unclear.

Local media outlets reported that the jet crashed into a building housing medical students. While some reports suggest over 100 fatalities, authorities have yet to confirm any official death toll.

India’s top aviation authority, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, told the Associated Press that the crash occurred within five minutes of takeoff. According to data from flight tracking service FlightRadar, the aircraft’s signal was lost almost immediately after it left the ground, with its short southwest-bound flight path cutting off suddenly.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, expressed shock and sorrow over the incident.

"I am shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad," he posted on social media. He said emergency teams had been activated and that he was closely monitoring the situation.

“All aviation and emergency response agencies have been directed to take swift and coordinated action,” Kinjarapu said. “Rescue teams have been mobilized, and every effort is being made to provide immediate medical assistance and relief.”

Gatwick Airport, the plane's intended destination, also issued a statement confirming the crash, noting that flight AI171 had been scheduled to arrive in the UK at 6:25 p.m. local time (1:25 p.m. Eastern).

Unverified footage shared by Indian broadcaster NDTV appears to show the aircraft flying unusually low over a residential area before vanishing behind buildings. Moments later, a fiery explosion is seen erupting from the ground, followed by plumes of thick smoke.

Television footage from the crash site depicted widespread destruction, with large fires and extensive damage to several buildings. Emergency responders, including firefighters and medical teams, continued rescue operations into the evening.