One survivor has been found following the tragic crash of an Air India flight shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people including 12 crew members, crashed into a residential doctors’ hostel near the airport perimeter.
Confirming the development, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told ANI over the phone: "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He has been in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area."
The aircraft departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1339 IST and lost contact shortly after issuing a 'Mayday' distress call. It crashed into a building that houses medical professionals. "After the takeoff, the plane crashed here and after a preliminary enquiry, we got to know that the ... plane crashed into a building, which is a doctors' hostel," said Joint Commissioner of Police Jaipal Singh Rathore while addressing reporters.
Air India confirmed the incident in an official statement: "Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident."
The aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with over 8,200 hours of experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged around 1,100 flying hours.
Authorities said the aircraft stopped responding to ATC after the emergency call and crashed outside the airport boundary. Eyewitnesses reported heavy black smoke rising from the site.
To support the rescue and relief operations, the Gujarat government dispatched three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams from Gandhinagar, comprising 90 personnel. Local authorities, police, and emergency workers are continuing to secure the crash site and assist the injured.
The Ahmedabad City Police also shared a helpline number for those seeking information: "Ahmedabad City Police Emergency Number for Police Emergency Services and necessary information related to the Ahmedabad Plane Crash 07925620359," stated a post on X.
Rescue operations remain ongoing as officials assess the scale of damage and continue to monitor the condition of the injured.