New Delhi [India], June 12 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is en route to Ahmedabad to assess the situation following the plane crash which occurred near the city's airport today, according to sources. Shah had also spoken with Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, and Ahmedabad's Police Commissioner on Thursday and took stock of the situation regarding the crash.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with HM Shah, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, with Naidu informing the PM that he will be rushing to Ahmedabad to oversee rescue and relief operations on the ground.
"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," Shah said in a post on X.
Flight operations at the Ahmedabad airport have been suspended temporarily until further notice following the Air India plane crash after takeoff, according to an official spokesperson.
The Air India flight AI171, departing from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport early today while carrying 242 passengers.
According to DGCA, the London-bound Air India flight crashed in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad following the takeoff at 01:38 pm on Thursday. The Boeing aircraft was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members.
According to Air India, "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."
A total of three Natural Disaster Response Force teams have been moved from Gandhinagar to Ahmedabad, comprising 90 personnel. Three teams from Vadodara are also moving to Ahmedabad.