Air India Plane With 242 Passengers Crashes After Takeoff From Ahmedabad [Video]

An Air India flight heading to London Gatwick crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, with 242 people on board, including passengers and crew.

Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had just departed from the western Indian city when it issued a mayday signal and went down outside the airport perimeter, according to aviation officials.

Thick black smoke was seen rising near the airport shortly after the crash.

India’s civil aviation authority confirmed the aircraft was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and ten cabin crew, when the crash occurred.

The plane had barely left the ground when the emergency call was made, and it went down in a densely populated area near the airport.

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” by the incident and ordered all emergency and aviation agencies to respond quickly.

Kinjarapu said rescue teams were immediately dispatched, and efforts are underway to provide medical aid and support to those affected.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families,” he added.

Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed the accident and called it a “tragic day” for the airline.

“With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad (to) London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” said the airline chairman.

India has a history of deadly aviation incidents. Among the most serious was a mid-air collision over New Delhi in 1996 that killed nearly 350 people, and a 2010 crash in Mangalore that left 158 dead.

One of the deadliest remains the 1985 Air India bombing that killed all 329 passengers and crew on board after a bomb was planted on the plane.

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that US Authorities recently confirmed that a small plane that went missing in Alaska with 10 people on board has been found, with no signs of survivors.