Ahmedabad police say there is at least one survivor from flight – media reports
Hannah Ellis-Petersen
Ahmedabad police have said there was at least one survivor from the flight. According to media reports, the sole survivor of the crash was 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian, who lives in London and was in Ahmedabad visiting family. He said he had lived in London for the past 20 years and had travelled to India with his brother who was also on the plane
“Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” said Ramesh, speaking to the Hindustan Times. He said he “impact injuries”, including bruising on his chest, eyes and feet but was otherwise lucid and conscious.
Ramesh, who still had his boarding pass, told Hindustan Times:
When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.
Earlier, Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press (AP) that there appeared to be no survivors from the plane crash.
Key events
The Indian army has deployed 130 personnel including doctors and paramedics to assist civil authorities in Ahmedabad in clearing debris from the Air India plane crash and help treat the injured, reports the Associated Press (AP).
The city’s local military hospital has also been kept on a standby, the army said in a statement.
Kevin Rawlinson
Gatwick airport’s chief executive says he is “very saddened” by the crash, and that the airport is working to support relatives of those on board.
Stewart Wingate adds: “Our thoughts are with [their family and friends.”
The airport says it usually sees 12 Air India departures per week – including five to Ahmedabad.
Death toll now at more than 290 people – Reuters
More than 290 people were killed in a plane crash in India’s Ahmedabad city on Thursday, a police officer told Reuters.
More to follow.
The US government says it is ready to send a team to help investigate the Air India crash if Indian officials request it.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would be the US government’s primary representative and the FAA provides technical support.
The NTSB routinely helps determine the causes of about 450 international crashes every year.
London Gatwick airport setting up a reception centre for relatives
London Gatwick airport in south London says it is “liaising closely with Air India” and that staff are setting up a reception centre for relatives of those on board the Air India flight AI171 to provide “information and support.”
In a statement posted on social media, it said the flight, which had more than 240 passengers and crew aboard, was due to land at the airport at 6.25pm local time.
At least five medical students killed and around 50 injured
Part of the Air India plane fell on top of the dining area of BJ Medical college, killing at least five medical students and injuring nearly 50, according to Divyansh Singh, vice-president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, a national body that represents resident doctors across the country.
“Some of the injured are critical. We are in close contact with our peers in the hospital who are on a lookout for more people feared buried in the debris,” he said, reports the Associated Press (AP).
An Air India flight from Gatwick to Goa has been cancelled, reports the Associated Press (AP).
The flight, which was due to leave on Thursday night from London Gatwick airport to the Indian state of Goa, has been cancelled after the airline’s earlier crash in north-western India.
The flight to Manohar International airport had been scheduled to depart at 8.30pm, about two hours after the flight from Ahmedabad had been due to land at the airport south of London, reports the AP.
Ahmedabad police say there is at least one survivor from flight – media reports
Hannah Ellis-Petersen
Ahmedabad police have said there was at least one survivor from the flight. According to media reports, the sole survivor of the crash was 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian, who lives in London and was in Ahmedabad visiting family. He said he had lived in London for the past 20 years and had travelled to India with his brother who was also on the plane
“Thirty seconds after take off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” said Ramesh, speaking to the Hindustan Times. He said he “impact injuries”, including bruising on his chest, eyes and feet but was otherwise lucid and conscious.
Ramesh, who still had his boarding pass, told Hindustan Times:
When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.
Earlier, Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press (AP) that there appeared to be no survivors from the plane crash.
Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday he was “saddened” by the plane crash in neighbouring India, where all 242 people on board an Air India flight are believed to have died.
“Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief,” Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on X.
Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, has expressed his “deep sorrow” after the London-bound plane crashed on Thursday.
He said in a video statement posted on X:
I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event.
This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.
Air India owner, Tata Sons, said it would also cover the medical expenses of those injured after the plane crash at Ahmedabad airport.
In a statement posted on X, the chair of the group Natarajan Chandrasekaran said:
We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India flight 171. No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured. Tata Group will provide ₹1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy.
We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support.
Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical’s hostel.
We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time.
According to the PA news agency, the Tata Sons have said they will offer about £86,000 to the families of each person who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash.
UK sending team to help India air crash investigators
Gwyn Topham
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released the following statement:
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India.
In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation. This is in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 because UK citizens were on board the aircraft.
We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian led investigation.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident.
British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO): 020 7008 5000.
