The North News
Chandigarh, June 11
An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, crashed minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
Flight AI-171 took off at 1:38pm and went down just two minutes later at 1:40pm, at an altitude of only 625 feet. The aircraft reportedly hit the airport boundary wall and crashed near the Air Customs Cargo Office, sending up a large cloud of smoke visible across the area.
Among the passengers were 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.
There are currently no confirmed casualties, though emergency services are actively assessing the situation. Rescue and firefighting teams were quickly mobilised, and a technical inquiry is now underway.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and assured full support from the central government and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Chief Minister described the crash as “very unfortunate and sad”, and has instructed officials to arrange a green corridor for transporting injured passengers to hospitals on a “war footing”.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also responded to the incident, saying he was “shocked and devastated” to learn of the crash. “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 said in a statement on social media.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he added. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.”
Further updates are expected from Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as investigations continue.
