An Air India Boeing 787-8 has crashed during takeoff
An Air India flight bound for London crashed into a medical college hostel just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing at least 290 people.
Of the 242 people on board, all but one were killed, officials said. The total death toll includes victims on the ground, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to at least 290, according to the Ahmedabad Police.
The plane went down in a residential area minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Gujarat. Videos of the crash circulating on social media show plumes of dark smoke rising into the sky. The authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the crash.
As rescue operations continue, one survivor has been identified. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik informed the media that the passenger in seat 11A “has been found in the hospital and is under treatment.” Local media reports indicate that 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, was rescued by locals. He is believed to have jumped off the plane before it made contact with the building.
According to Air India, among the 242 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 were British nationals, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian.
Police have also released a list of 25 individuals who were injured on the ground at the crash site. Local media, citing the Indian Medical Association, reported that three medical students perished while others have been hospitalized.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered rescue and relief operations. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Home Minister Amit Shah have arrived in Ahmedabad to assess the situation.
Read more at RT