An Air India passenger plane carrying more than 200 people crashed on Thursday after taking off from an airport in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, and the airline has confirmed there was one survivor, despite a police official earlier saying it appeared there were none.
Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London's Gatwick Airport, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time. There were 242 passengers and crew members onboard the flight.
First responders found at least one survivor who was in seat 11A next to an emergency exit onboard the plane, Vidhi Chaudhary, a state police officer, told Reuters.
"Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," that man, Ramesh Viswashkumar, was quoted as telling the Hindustan Times. "It all happened so quickly."
"When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me," the 40-year-old also said, according to Reuters. "Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."
The Hindustan Times posted an image of a boarding pass matching the man's name and seat number, with a stamp indicating a Thursday departure from Ahmedabad.
Chaudhary told Reuters, "Approximately 294 have died" and "This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying."
The Associated Press also reported that at least one person survived the crash, citing a doctor at a hospital who spoke to the Press Trust of India. However, it added that it could not independently verify the information.
Relatives of Viswashkumar told Sky News they have spoken to him since the crash. He reportedly lives in London.
Earlier, Ahmedabad’s city police commissioner, G.S. Malik, told the AP, "It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash."
The cause of the disaster is unclear. In videos circulating on social media purportedly showing the crash, the plane is seen with its nose raised up as it slowly descended to the ground, before bursting into a massive fireball.
Air India said that the 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 p.m. local time, and was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
The airline said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff.
"We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities," the airline said. "The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital."
The passengers were composed of 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. The sole survivor, the airline confirmed, was a British national of Indian origin.
"Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones," the airline said. "A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident."
Local media showed smoke billowing from the crash site near the airport in northwestern India. The plane issued a "mayday" call to air traffic control before plunging out of the sky, Reuters reported.
"The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel... we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon," a senior police officer told Reuters.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, "The FAA is in contact with the NTSB regarding Air India flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad (AMD) to London Gatwick (LGW), that was involved in an accident in India on Thursday, June 12."
"When an international incident occurs, that government leads the investigation. In the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official U.S. representative and the FAA provides technical support. We stand ready to launch a team immediately in coordination with the NTSB," it added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us."
"It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," he continued.
"The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer added.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X that rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site.
"We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation," he said.
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The aircraft was introduced in 2009 and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, Flightradar24 reported.
"We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected," Boeing said in a statement.
In August 2020 an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people.
The worst air disaster in India was on Nov. 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhastan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 on board the two planes.
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