“An Air India Dreamliner with 242 people on board crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, with officials fearing there are no survivors.”
An Air India flight carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed near Ahmedabad’s international airport on Thursday, with police confirming fears that there are no survivors.
“It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,” said G.S. Malik, the city’s police commissioner, adding that “some locals would have also died” as the plane struck a residential and office complex.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off around 1:10 p.m. local time en route to London. Shortly after, it plummeted into a civilian area south of the airport.
Rescuers recovered 204 bodies by Thursday evening, according to Kanan Desai of the city’s police department. Images from the crash site show the aircraft’s tail embedded in a building.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “heartbreaking beyond words,” while Britain’s PM Keir Starmer and King Charles III are being updated.
Air India confirmed 230 passengers and 12 crew were aboard, including nationals from India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada. Boeing said it is gathering more information.