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Recently, an aviation tragedy occurred in India when Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London Gatwick, England, carrying a total of 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and one Canadian.
According to the schedule, the plane was supposed to take off at approximately 1:47 PM local time. However, just 9 minutes after leaving the runway, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area near the airport. A video shared online showed the plane plummeting, and images from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site. The crash area was identified as a doctors' dormitory.
An Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport in India, bursting into flames and killing at least 200 people.
Rescue forces were immediately deployed to the scene. Firefighters quickly arrived to extinguish the blaze. India's Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, expressed deep shock and sorrow over the accident, and affirmed that rescue teams were on the highest alert.
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, western India.
This is the first fatal accident involving the Dreamliner since it began operations in 2011.
Mr. Naidu also extended his condolences and prayers to all those on board the plane and their families. Three disaster response teams with approximately 90 personnel have been dispatched to the scene, and three more are en route to provide assistance.
The plane was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese, and one Canadian, along with 12 crew members.
Air India has issued a statement confirming that flight AI171 experienced an "incident," and said they are gathering more details and will provide an update as soon as possible. Authorities have not yet released the official cause of the accident.
The Ahmedabad city police chief said it appeared no one on board the plane survived and there were likely casualties on the ground as well.
Regarding casualties, India's Health Minister confirmed that "many people" had died. Various sources gave different death tolls, with News18 reporting at least 40 deaths, while Indian TimesNow television reported at least 133 confirmed fatalities. Reuters, citing local police, said over 200 people had died, and NDTV even reported that all 242 people on board had perished.
Multiple phone videos show the plane flying low over the city before crashing and bursting into flames.
Additionally, the Ahmedabad city police chief stated that it appeared no one on board the plane survived and that there were likely casualties on the ground as well. At least 204 bodies have been recovered, but it is unclear whether all were those of people on board. At least five students who were not on the plane but were in the dormitory area struck by the crash also died, and 40 others were injured. This is the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner since it began operations in 2011.
The non-profit Flight Safety Foundation stated in 2014 that statistics showed that in the decade from 2004 to 2013, nearly half of all commercial jet accidents worldwide occurred during the final descent or landing phase of flight, and approximately 14% of fatal accidents occurred during the takeoff (8%) and initial ascent (6%) phases of flight.
