Ahmedabad, India –A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing an unknown number of passengers and crew. Officials on the ground have described the scene as “catastrophic.”
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down in a residential area not far from the airport, smashing into a doctor’s hostel and sparking a massive fire. Black smoke could be seen rising over the city as emergency crews fought to reach survivors trapped under debris.
“We’ve cleared nearly 80% of the area,” a senior police officer told local media. “The building it crashed into was a staff hostel. Rescue work is ongoing.”
Air India confirmed the flight was headed to Gatwick Airport in the UK and said among those on board were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. There were 11 children included in the passenger list.
At least some survivors have been pulled from the wreckage and rushed to nearby hospitals, though the full scale of injuries remains unclear. India’s Health Minister, speaking on national television, said “many people” had died, but stopped short of providing a confirmed death toll.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Air India said: “We are gathering more information. The injured are being transported for medical care.”
Air traffic control records show the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. local time from runway 23. Within seconds, the pilot issued a distress signal a “Mayday” indicating an emergency. Contact was lost shortly after.
Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, reported that the plane disappeared from radar almost immediately after takeoff. “The last signal was received seconds after departure,” the site said. The aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was one of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners a modern jet known for its long range and fuel efficiency.
Footage shared by local television stations showed a fireball rising from behind residential buildings, with flaming debris scattered across the crash site. Scenes from the ground were grim paramedics loading people onto stretchers, residents weeping as they watched the smoke, and firefighters battling flames.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was “gathering more information.” Its shares fell sharply down nearly 7% in early pre-market trading in the U.S.
Indian aviation officials have opened an investigation. So far, no immediate cause has been confirmed. Mechanical failure, weather conditions, and human error are all expected to be explored.
This crash is one of the deadliest aviation accidents in India in recent years and is sure to raise renewed questions over air safety in the country. For now, families are left waiting for word some hoping for a miracle, others already mourning.
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