New Delhi [India], June 12 : The Supreme Court Bar Association on Thursday extended condolences to the families of the Ahmedabad plane crash victims.
In a statement, the SC Bar Association said that they are "deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash that occurred today in Ahmadabad, Gujarat. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, including the medical students & staff who tragically lost their lives."
"We stand in solidarity with all those affected by this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected families. May their families find strength and courage in this difficult time." SC Bar Association added.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
According to senior police officials, the aircraft crashed into a doctor's hostel located just outside the airport perimeter. "After the takeoff, the plane crashed here and after a preliminary enquiry, we got to know that the ... plane crashed into a building, which is a doctors' hostel," Jaipal Singh Rathore, Joint Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, told reporters.
Air India confirmed that flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was involved in an accident shortly after takeoff at 13:38 IST.
"Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," the airline said in a statement.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.
The aircraft, immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. An official said that heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site.
Rescue and relief operations were ongoing, with multiple agencies working on-site to assist survivors and investigate the cause of the crash.