The North News
Chandigarh, June 12
Home Minister Amit Shah said he was “pained beyond words” following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on Wednesday afternoon.
Flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers—including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani—took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38pm and crashed just two minutes later, at a height of only 625 feet. The aircraft reportedly struck the airport boundary wall and came down near the Air Customs Cargo Office, sending up thick clouds of smoke visible across the area.
Among the passengers on board were 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. Firefighting teams and disaster response forces were mobilised immediately following the crash. A full technical inquiry has been launched.
Home Minister Shah said he had spoken with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and Ahmedabad’s Police Commissioner to review the situation. “Disaster response forces have been quickly rushed to the crash site,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu expressed shock and said he was “devastated” by the incident. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he posted. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are expected to release further updates as the investigation continues.
