An Air India flight carrying 242 passengers and crew members crashed shortly after taking off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline said. There was no immediate information about survivors, but India’s health minister said “many people” had died.
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The plane crashed into the campus of a medical college, hitting a dining facility where dozens of students were eating, said the dean of the college, Minakshi Parikh. At least five students were killed, the dean said.
The ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flight AI171, departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport with 242 passengers and crew on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. According to authorities, the aircraft plummeted into a doctors’ hostel building shortly after liftoff, sparking a major rescue operation.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed in a statement to the House of Commons that British nationals were among the victims. He added that the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has activated crisis response teams in both New Delhi and London to support affected families.
“We know that British nationals were on board and I can confirm that the FCDO is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London,” Lammy said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the crash “devastating,” offering his condolences to the victims and their families. “My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,” he said, promising ongoing updates as the situation develops.
House of Commons Leader Lucy Powell also assured that the UK government would provide full support to those affected, both at home and in India.
On the Indian side, rescue officials confirmed that at least 30 bodies had been recovered from the crash site, with more people feared trapped. A senior police officer reported that around 70 to 80 percent of the crash area had been cleared as of Thursday morning.
India’s Health Minister acknowledged multiple fatalities and said emergency services were working tirelessly amid thick smoke and debris to extract survivors. Ahmedabad airport has suspended all operations in the wake of the crash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the disaster as “heartbreaking beyond words.” He shared on social media: “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it,” and noted that he is in close contact with ministers and local authorities to ensure swift assistance to families of the victims.
Air India confirmed the incident and announced that a hotline — 1800 5691 444 — has been set up to assist affected families. “The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” the airline stated, assuring the public that it is cooperating fully with investigators probing the cause of the crash.
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