In one of the worst aviation disasters, over 100 casualties are feared following the crash of an Air India flight to London that crashed into a residential locality that was densely populated at the time in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Thursday. AI171 was a flight scheduled to transport 242 people on board, comprising two pilots, 10 cabin crew, and 230 passengers, but the unfortunate flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, encountered a deadly accident soon after its takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Air traffic control lost the aircraft at 1:39 pm (0809 GMT) after it had taken off runway 23. A few minutes after takeoff, the pilots sent a Mayday distress signal, indicating that there was a serious in-flight emergency. Communication was, however, lost nearly after that, and the plane crashed in the Meghaninagar locality just near the airport.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources acknowledged the reception of the distress signal and said that an investigation has now been established to identify the cause of the crash precisely. Flightradar24, an aviation tracking service, also confirmed that the plane lost signal a few seconds after it had taken off.
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British passport holders, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian on board the aircraft, Air India said in an official statement. The plane was bound for Gatwick Airport in London.
Eyewitnesses told a terrifying story of how the plane fell into the neighbourhood and a lot of black smoke shot up into the sky within a very short time. There were dramatic images of pieces of the plane debris that were embedded on top of buildings and others that were strewn on small lanes.
Fire services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and police forces were among the emergency response services that hastened to the crash site to conduct relief and rescue operations. Authorities are yet to provide the official number of casualties; however, the sources speak of more than 120.
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