An Air India passenger aircraft en route to London from Ahmedabad has crashed near Ahmedabad Airport in the Indian state of Gujarat, raising fears of casualties.
According to British news agency Reuters, the aircraft was carrying 230 passengers along with 12 crew members. Rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the crash site upon receiving reports of the incident.
Air India flight number AI-171 had taken off from Ahmedabad Airport, bound for London. According to India Today, the crash occurred during takeoff. However, Indian media reports present conflicting figures regarding the number of passengers onboard. Smoke was seen billowing from the crash site.
Police officials confirmed that the aircraft crashed near a residential area close to the airport. However, the extent of the damage is not yet known. Details will be shared with the public once rescue operations are underway.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“We are reviewing reports of an incident involving Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. The last signal from the aircraft was received at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after takeoff.”
The aircraft involved in the crash was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB.
