53 Britons on board London-bound flight that crashed in India
An Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying hundreds of passengers has crashed shortly after take-off near the airport in India’s western city of Ahmedabad.
It is believed 53 British nationals were on board, as well as 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. According to Reuters, 242 people in total were on board.
Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, described it as a “tragic accident” in a statement on X.
Pictures from the scene show a large plume of smoke following the crash, with fire-fighting vehicles and other emergency services currently working at the scene.
There have been no concrete reports as yet of the number of injured passengers, nor is it known whether there have been any fatalities.
‘Many people’ killed in Air India crash
‘Many people’ were reportedly killed in the Air India plane crash that happened just outside of Ahmedabad.
According to India’s health minister “many people” died in the crash, which happened minutes into the London Gatwick-bound flight on Thursday. The plane crashed onto a doctors’ hostel, with local media reporting that a number of medical interns were feared death.
Gujarat former chief minister among passengers on Air India flight
The former chief minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, was a passenger on the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.
Keir Starmer says Air India scenes ‘devastating’
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the Air India scenes were devastating. (AP)
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the passengers and families of those on the Air India flight bound for Gatwick which crashed in Ahmedabad.
He said: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.
“I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”