An Air India plane en route to London with 242 people on board crashed just five minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, sending shockwaves across the nation.Preliminary reports suggest that 242 people may have died, although 52 bodies have been recovered so far.
The crash is believed to have occurred due to a technical fault in the aircraft’s engine, causing the plane to lose control and crash into a residential area near Meghaninagar. The flight, identified as AI171, was carrying 171 passengers, including 61 foreign nationals.
According to DGCA reports, the flight crew sent a MAYDAY call to ATC seconds after takeoff. Tragically, no further communication was received. The aircraft was piloted by Capt. Sumit Sabharwal, a veteran with over 8,200 flying hours, along with First Officer Clive Kundar.
Were VIPs On Board?
Among the 242 passengers were 171 Indians and 61 foreign nationals. Unconfirmed reports suggest that former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani may have been on board. Officials have yet to verify this.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu are closely monitoring the situation. The Aviation Minister has flown into Ahmedabad to oversee rescue operations.
All flight operations at Ahmedabad airport have been temporarily suspended as authorities investigate the cause of this catastrophic failure.
