New Delhi [India], June 12 : Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, on Thursday expressed grief over the plane crash in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, involving an Air India flight en route to Gatwick in London.
In a post on X, Rai said, "The news of the plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is extremely sad and painful. May God give strength to the families who have lost their loved ones to bear this sorrow."
BJP leader Kavinder Gupta termed the accident "massive" and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
"We can only pray to God that everyone is safe. This is a massive accident. We can say anything only after we get official information," Gupta told ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident in Ahmedabad, terming it "heartbreaking beyond words."
In a post on X, PM Modi conveyed his condolences and assured assistance to those affected.
According to the post, PM Modi has been closely monitoring the situation and is in constant communication with state authorities.
"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," the Prime Minister wrote.
Confirming the incident, Air India said that among the 242 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 Britishers, seven portugese and one Canadian national.
"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.
According to officials, the aircraft was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an LTC with 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience.
As per Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Runway 23 at 1339 IST (0809 UTC). It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC.
"Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site," the official added.