The Air India flight, which was due to arrive at London Gatwick Airport this evening, crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off this morning
Footage showing the Air India flight 171 crash has been shared on social media, capturing the moment the plane explodes into a fireball in a residential area.
The flight, set to land at London Gatwick, took off from Ahmedabad Airport at 1.38pm local time on Thursday. Minutes after take-off, it crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar.
Aboard the Air India flight were 242 passengers, including 53 British nationals, 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese people, and one Canadian. Gatwick Airport confirmed on X that the plane was due to land in London at 6.25pm.
A video of the crash has been shared on X by a journalist in Gujarat. It sees the plane flying low above houses, gathering speed before crashing down and exploding into a ball of fire. Large billows of black smoke and fire are filmed erupting into the air.
READ MORE: Air India Flight 171 UPDATES as UK-bound plane crashes with over 240 on board
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s last signal was received just seconds after take-off, according to Flight Radar. Boeing said: “We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.” According to police, the plane crashed on a doctors’ hostel, Sky News reported.
Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, shared a statement shortly after news broke in which he confirmed that the plane “was involved in a tragic accident”.
He wrote: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.”
Chandrasekaran added: “At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”
He confirmed that further updates would be shared as the airline received more verified information. A support team has been set up for families seeking information.
The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals, and there is a dedicated passenger hotline number – 1800 5691 444 – to provide more information, Air India confirmed.
The airline added: “Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.”
UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer shared a statement on social media in which he wrote: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
House of Commons leader Lucy Powell said, per PA: “The thoughts of the whole House and the government will be with the families of those traveling on flight AI171 from Ahmedabad in India to London, Gatwick, which has reportedly crashed.”
She continued on to say: “This is an unfolding story, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern to the many, many families and communities here and those waiting for the arrival of their loved ones.”