Air India Plane Crash in Ahmedabad: No Survivors Reported, Devastation on Ground | BBC News

Tragic Air India Crash in Ahmedabad

• ✈️ An Air India flight (AI71) crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, en route to London Gatwick.
• 💥 The plane was carrying 242 passengers and crew and lost altitude rapidly, impacting a residential area.
• 💔 The crash site is a densely populated area, hitting a building where residential doctors were living, raising fears of significant casualties on the ground.

Devastation and Rescue Efforts

• 🔥 The impact caused a huge fireball and widespread destruction, with fires continuing to burn for hours.
• 🚒 Firefighting and rescue vehicles arrived quickly, and bulldozers were used to clear debris to recover bodies.
• 🏥 Most recovered bodies have been taken to the civil hospital in Ahmedabad, where relatives are seeking information amidst chaos.

Eyewitness Accounts and Area Description

• 👂 Eyewitnesses described a sound like a thunderstorm followed by smoke and the plane hitting buildings.
• 🏘️ The crash occurred in the Mehanigar area, a densely populated residential zone near the airport, with multi-story buildings and even huts affected.
• ⚠️ The scene was described as dangerous, with debris, including a plane wing, scattered on roads and in trees.

Official Response and Airport Operations

• ✈️ Despite the tragedy, flights at Ahmedabad airport have resumed, with authorities stating flight safety protocols are being followed.
• 🇮🇳 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of Gujarat have offered condolences, with political leaders overseeing rescue operations.
• 🗣️ The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the tragic accident, extending condolences and noting the evolving situation with ongoing rescue efforts.
• 🚨 Local police are managing traffic and crowd control as residents gather near the crash site, seeking answers.