An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London crashed soon after its takeoff on June 12. Flight AI171 had 242 people on board, including the former Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani. After its takeoff, the pilots sensed trouble and immediately called for mayday, but the aircraft couldn’t last more than a minute in the air and crashed in the Meghaninagar area.
The crash is said to have taken place between 1 and 2 PM IST. According to preliminary information, the plane reportedly reached 625 metres in the air but suddenly descended, during which the pilots informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) of a mayday.
A large plume of black smoke and fire was spotted rising from the spot after the crash. The Emergency responders reached the site promptly and have launched intensive rescue, evacuation, and firefighting operations. Meanwhile, the concerned authorities are yet to share the details behind the possible reason for the crash or the number of casualties.
A senior police officer has confirmed that the aircraft has crashed in a doctor’s hostel and 70%-80% of the area has been cleared and the rest is being taken care of.
“The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel... we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told reporters.
As things stand, the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport has halted all flights until further notice. Air India has also issued helpline numbers for further assistance.
Cricketers express grief over unfortunate tragedy
Several cricketers, including Shikhar Dhawan, Rashid Khan, Hardik Pandya, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Mohammed Shami have expressed grief over the unfortunate incident in grief. Every cricketer expressed their sadness and offered prayers to the injured and their family members.
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