Ahmedabad: An Air India passenger aircraft carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, June 12.
The flight, AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, took off at 1:38 PM and went down shortly thereafter, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky. The number of casualties is yet to be officially confirmed.
Several videos of the horrific plane crash surfaced on social media.
Reacting to the the incident, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "I am deeply saddened by the accident of the Air India passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad. I have instructed the officials to take immediate rescue and relief operations in the accident and to make arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured passengers on a war footing."
"I have also instructed to arrange a green corridor to take the injured passengers for treatment and to ensure all the treatment arrangements in the hospital on priority. The Honorable Union Home Minister Shri Amitbhai Shah has also spoken to me and assured full support of the NDRF teams and the Central Government for the rescue and relief operations in this plane crash," he added.
Have a look at his statement here:
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah wrote, "Pained beyond words by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Disaster response forces have been quickly rushed to the crash site. Spoke with the Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi, and Commissioner of Police Ahmedabad to assess the situation."
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also took to X and expressed her shock over the incident. She wrote, "Stunned and profoundly shocked to know of the most tragic Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad today. It is a most sad news for all of us, even while we anxiously wait for survivors details and pray for survival of all."
Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu also reacted to the incident. In a post on X, he wrote, "Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. 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. Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site."
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi also took to X to express his grief. "The Ahmedabad Air India crash is heartbreaking. The pain and anxiety the families of the passengers and crew must be feeling is unimaginable. My thoughts are with each one of them in this incredibly difficult moment," he wrote.
Have a look at some other political reactions here:
Additionally, three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, a total of 90 personnel, have been deployed from Gandhinagar, with an additional three teams en route from Vadodara to aid in the ongoing emergency operation. Ahmedabad Airport has been temporarily shut down to prioritise rescue and relief work.
