A plane carrying 242 people crashes on its way to London
In India, a terrible aviation disaster has occurred. Shortly after taking off, Air India Flight AI171, which was traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed, shocking the world’s aviation community and leaving behind plumes of dense black smoke. Authorities in India claim that the aircraft was transporting 242 individuals, comprising 12 crew members and 232 passengers.
The airline claims that when the Air India flight crashed, 53 British citizens were on board. Indian Civil Aviation Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai told the Associated Press that the plane crashed in Meghani Nagar, a heavily populated residential neighborhood outside Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat.
Shortly after taking off, the jet lost communication, according to reports from Sky News and Flightradar24, a flight tracking website. According to Sky News, the unfortunate tragedy happened at approximately 1:38 p.m. local time. As the collision location was identified by tall smoke columns, emergency personnel hurried to the scene in a matter of seconds.
Amidst the wreckage, parts of the plane’s fuselage and tail can be seen in the startling photos and videos that have been shared on social media. “I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” said Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in a prompt response.
Rescue crews have been called in, and every attempt is being made to guarantee that relief supplies and medical assistance are sent to the scene as soon as possible. All individuals on board and their families are in my prayers and thoughts. Social media users are sharing videos purporting to capture the crash of the Air India aircraft.
N. Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India, released the following sobering statement: “I confirm with great sadness that today’s tragic tragedy included Air India flight AI171, which was traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. The family and loved ones of everyone impacted by this tragic incident are in our thoughts and prayers.
Our top priority right now is helping all those impacted and their families. We are making every effort to support the emergency response teams on the scene and to give the affected individuals all the care and assistance they require. We’ll provide more updates as soon as we have more confirmed information. Support teams for families have been established, and an emergency center has been launched.
Although Gatwick Airport admitted the incident happened on departure from India, it also verified that flight AI171 was scheduled to land in the UK at 6:25 p.m. local time. Julian Bray, an aviation specialist, told the Daily Mail: “A Boeing Dreamliner has crashed; it’s unclear if anyone has been able to evacuate the aircraft.
They should be able to evacuate people in ninety seconds if it has actually crashed and they can open the chutes. This is a serious event, and I am aware that fire apparatuses are present. The fact that it is a Dreamliner, a cutting-edge Boeing, is really disappointing. Security concerns are impossible to rule out. However, this is just conjecture on my part.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated, despite reports of bright skies and mild breezes at the time. Although no deaths have been formally confirmed as of yet, the extent of the damage seen in preliminary images indicates that there may be a substantial death toll.
The crash is the latest in a series of tragedies involving Boeing aircraft in recent years. 189 people died on Lion Air flight 610 in Indonesia in 2018, and 157 people died in the Ethiopian Airlines disaster in 2019.
A quick update was posted on X by Air India: The Ahmedabad-London Gatwick flight, AI171, was involved in an incident today, June 12, 2025. We are currently figuring out the specifics and will provide further information as soon as possible. The story is still evolving. As more information is released by authorities, there will be more updates.
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