What we know so far after Air India flight to London Gatwick crashes | World News

An Air India flight which was en route to London Gatwick has crashed in India.

At least 242 people were on board the flight when it crashed shortly after take off in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad.

Local police have said there appear to be no survivors.

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Here is what we know so far.

Where did the plane crash?

Air India flight AI171 took off from Ahmedabad Airport at 1.38pm local time on Thursday.

According to flight tracking website Flightrader, the aircraft had reached a height of 625ft before crashing. Its last signal was received less than a minute after take off.

The aircraft crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press.

It came down just outside the airport, hitting a doctors’ hostel.

More than 100 bodies have been brought to hospital in Ahmedabad, police said.

At least 30 bodies were recovered from a building at the site of the crash, Reuters reported, citing rescue workers at the site.

More people were trapped inside the building, the workers said.

The tail of the plane has been pictured protruding from a building, while the wings were ripped completely from the main body of the aircraft.

Images from the scene showed people being moved in stretchers and taken away in ambulances.

Who was on board?

Air India said of the 242 passengers and crew on the plane, 53 were British nationals, 169 were Indian nationals, seven were Portuguese and one person was Canadian.

Those that have been injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.

The airline said it has also “set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information”.

The flight had been due to land at London Gatwick at 6.25pm local time.

What caused the crash?

It is unknown at this stage what caused the crash.

The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The American aircraft manufacturer which makes the plane, said it is “aware of initial reports” and is working to gather more information.

Aviation expert Julian Bray told Sky News that he understands the pilot of flight AI171 managed to make a mayday call before the crash.

This would mean the crew was aware of a problem before the incident happened.

A mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used in radio communication. It indicates an imminent danger and the need for immediate assistance.

Sky News’ science correspondent Thomas Moore said investigators will now be studying the video and the two black boxes recording cockpit conversations and technical data to try to understand why the crash occurred.

“It’s possible there was an engine failure of some kind, perhaps caused by a catastrophic mechanical fault. But the plane is designed to be able to fly with one engine, even at take-off, so something else would have to go wrong too,” he said

“Both engines could have failed if they sucked in a flock of birds as the plane took off. It’s happened in other air crashes.”

How has the UK responded?

Sir Keir Starmer said the scenes emerging from the site of the crash in Ahmedabad are “devastating”.

The prime minister said he is being kept updated as the situation develops. Buckingham Palace said King Charles is also being briefed on the crash.

Foreign Minister David Lammy said that he is “deeply saddened by news”.

In a statement on X, Mr Lammy wrote: “My thoughts are with all those affected. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support.”

The UK’s Foreign Office said it is currently “working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved”.

Britons who have concerns may call 0207 008 5000, the Foreign Office added.

What has India said?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the plane crash was “heartbreaking beyond words”.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said.

“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

The country’s civil aviation minister said he is “shocked and devastated”.

“I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said.

“My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families.

Previous Air India crashes

Air India, which started operations in 1932, and its subsidiary Air India Express has suffered several fatal crashes, two of which were caused by acts of terrorism.

According to Aviation Safety Network (ASN) the most recent fatal crash was in August 2020, when Boeing 737-800 (Air India Express) overshot the runway in Karipur, India, rolled down an embankment and broke up, killing 21 people.

Non-fatal incidents have happened most recently as April this year, when an Air India Express Boeing 737-8HG made contact with an object on the runway during landing in the United Arab Emirates.

Boeing shares fell nearly 8% in premarket US trading on Thursday, after the crash in Ahmedabad.