NEW DELHI, June 12 (Reuters) - An Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said, without specifying whether there were any fatalities.
The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
Get the latest news from India and how it matters to the world with the Reuters India File newsletter. Sign up
The 242 people included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 43 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.
"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X.
The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.
Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.
They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.
Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off.
"The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB," it said.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boeing (BA, opens new ta shares fell 6.8% to $199.13 in pre-market trade.
The Indian aviation minister's office said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed it to ensure all support is extended to the rescue efforts immediately.
All relevant agencies are on high alert and coordinated efforts were underway, the aviation minister's office added.
Post a Comment