Air India crash dwell updates: Disaster demise toll climbs to 290 as Brit sufferer describes flight’s ultimate moments

Today we’ve been reporting dwell updates from the Air India airplane crash as flight 171 plummeted to the bottom in a while after it departed Ahmedabad on its method to London Gatwick.

Air India showed 242 folks had been on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane together with 53 British nationals.

Police to begin with mentioned it seemed no-one survived the crash however one British passenger miraculously controlled to stroll away after he jumped from his seat at the doomed airplane.

The crash is among the worst aviation failures in India’s historical past and emergency services and products are nonetheless on the scene.

Here’s what you wish to have to understand this afternoon:

• Air India flight 171 crashed right into a clinical school in Meghani in a while after commencing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.17pm native time.
• The airline showed the airplane was once sporting 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 staff individuals and added 53 of the ones on board are British nationals.
• British guy Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is thought to be the only real survivor of the crash after making an improbable get away
• Astonishing photos confirmed the passenger with visual accidents hobbling clear of the scene of the crash. He reportedly sustained accidents to his chest, eyes and toes
• Among the sufferers is famous person wellness guru Jamie Ray Meek and his husband Fin who had been coming back from India following a talk over with to a retreat
• Video seems to turn the airplane suffering to reach elevate sooner than crashing to the bottom with the pilot reportedly issuing a Mayday name in a while after commencing
• According to initial knowledge, the airplane reached roughly 825 toes when it abruptly descended
• Tata Sons, which owns Air India, mentioned it’s going to be offering round £86,000 to the households of every one who died within the crash
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the tragedy is ‘heartbreaking past phrases’ whilst King Charles mentioned he was once ‘desperately stunned’

Aviation professionals have mentioned the placement of the airplane’s wing flaps will have performed a job within the crash.

Footage of the crash displays the airplane descending, adopted through a big explosion when it smashed right into a development.

‘When I’m taking a look at this, the undercarriage continues to be down however the flaps were retracted,’ aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas instructed the BBC.

He mentioned it was once very extraordinary for the plane’s flaps to stay consistent with the wing so quickly after take-off.

‘The undercarriage is most often retracted inside 10-15 seconds, and the flaps are then retracted over a length of 10-15 mins,’ he defined.

Aviation protection advisor John M Cox agreed that photographs of the flight advised this was once one house of inquiry.

‘The symbol displays the aircraft with the nostril emerging and it proceeding to sink,’ he mentioned. ‘That says that the aircraft isn’t making sufficient elevate.

‘It’s arduous to inform however from taking a look on the plane from at the back of – it does not seem like that the trailing edge flaps are within the place I’d have anticipated them to be,’ he added.

‘But I’m very wary that the picture high quality isn’t just right sufficient to make {that a} conclusion. It’s simply a space the place I do know that they will glance.’

The MP for Leicester East has mentioned she understands ‘a handful of Leicester citizens’ had been onboard the Ahmedabad to London flight that crashed.

Shivani Raja instructed BBC News that her neighborhood, which has a prime inhabitants of British-Gujaratis, had been ‘all in reality horrified and devastated waking as much as such tragic information’.

So some distance my figuring out is that there are a handful of Leicester citizens who had been on board that flight however I’m nonetheless watching for for reputable stories on that.

The Conservative MP mentioned she, her circle of relatives and her constituents have skilled delays at the ‘very talked-about flight path’ and that she can be writing to the Indian government, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Air India referring to its protection.

A month in the past one in every of her members of the family had their flight ‘behind schedule for over 24 hours because of an engine malfunction, she added.

These are the primary footage and names of the pilots and cabin staff of the ill-fated Air India airplane that crashed simply moments after take-off.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of revel in, was once lately named because the pilot of the doomed Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

First Officer Clive Kunder, from Mumbai, was once additionally onboard. He had logged 1,100 of flying hours and finished his coaching on the Florida-based Paris Air Flight School, in line with native media.

Cabin staff individuals Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam and Lamnunthem Singson had been additionally printed to were at the Gatwick-bound Air India Flight 171.

Senior individuals Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik, at the side of Saineeta Chakravarti, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Roshni Songhare Rajendra, and Manisha Thapa had been additionally named a number of the staff.

Watch MailOnline’s explainer video right here:

According to Reuters information company, the collection of folks killed within the airplane crash has risen to greater than 290, in line with a police officer.

There had been 242 folks on board the flight.

Downing Street has warned the general public to organize for an important lack of British lives.

Asked whether or not the general public will have to get ready for an important lack of existence, a No10 spokesman mentioned: ‘Yes.’

‘As the PM mentioned this morning, the scenes rising of the London-bound airplane sporting many British nationals crashing within the Indian town at Ahmedabad are devastating.

‘Clearly it is a deeply distressing time for households. The state of affairs continues to be unfolding.’

The spokesman would now not ascertain stories {that a} British nationwide had survived the crash.

Gujarat’s former leader minister, Vijay Rupani, has been killed within the airplane crash, India’s civil aviation minister has instructed newshounds.

Rupani, 68, served as the manager minister of the western Indian state in 2016-21.

He was once a member of the governing BJP birthday celebration.

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned he and his spouse Askhata Murty are ‘deeply stunned and distressed’ through the scoop of the crash.

Sunak, who’s of Indian descent, become the United Kingdom’s first Hindu top minister in 2022 and remained premier till he misplaced ultimate 12 months’s basic election. Murty is Indian.

“There is a unique bond between our two nati’ns and our thoughts and prayers go out to the British and Indian families who have lost loved ones today,’ Sunak said on X.

Air India says it is organising two relief flights to Ahmedabad for families of the passengers involved in the plane crash and airline staff.

The airline is sending return flights from Delhi and Mumbai that will arrive at 23:00 local time (18:00 BST) and depart shortly after 01:00 local time on Friday (20:00 BST on Thursday) .

A woman who was due to fly back to the UK on doomed Air India flight 171 has said she missed the departure by 10 minutes.

‘I am completely devastated after hearing about the loss [of lives],’ she told the Republic news outlet.

My physique is actually shivering. It’s not that i am in a position to speak.’

UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation into the Ahmedabad plane crash.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) says it has ‘formally offered its assistance’ to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in India

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.

Campbell Wilson, the boss of Air India, has expressed his ‘deep sorrow’ following the airplane crash in Ahmedabad.

Police said they had found a lone survivor who had been sitting in seat 11A when Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff in India this morning.

Astonishing footage showed the man walking away from the scene with some visible injuries to his face.

Read the full story here:

British celebrity wellness guru Jamie Meek and his husband posted a haunting video of themselves at the airport waiting to board the doomed Gatwick-bound Air India flight that crashed moments after it took off.

They are feared to be among the 242 vivctims who perished when the flight crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad bound for Gatwick.

Mr Meek, 45, and husband Fiongal Greenlaw, 39, who live in London, run a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called the Wellness Foundry, and had been in India on holiday.

They had seemed on ITV‘s This Morning to advertise their wellness logo.

In a chilling final social media video posted from Ahmedabad airport as they waited to board their doomed flight the couple were dressed in flowery shirts looking happy at the end of their break.

Tata Sons, which owns Air India, will offer around £86,000 to the families of each person who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash, the company said.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his ‘heartfelt condolences’ Thursday to those who have lost loved ones in an air crash in India and prayers for those recovering the bodies of victims.

‘Deeply saddened by the tragedy involving an Air India aircraft near Ahmedabad, his Holiness Pope Leo XIV sends his heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives,’ the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said in a telegram.

Leo additionally despatched his ‘assurance of prayers for all concerned within the restoration efforts’, Parolin mentioned.

Reuters have reported brief remarks from state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi.

He has said relatives have been asked to give DNA samples to identify the dead.

The our bodies which have been recovered come with the ones at the airplane and the ones within the house on the time of have an effect on.

Ahmedabad’s police chief has told the BBC that 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site.

It’s now not identified if all 204 had been at the airplane, or if some had been at the flooring when the airplane crashed.

More than 200 people have died in the Air India plane crash, Kanan Desai, a top city police officer, told Reuters.

The plane crashed into a doctor’s college residential quarters in Ahmedabad, where approximately 200 people are said to have been living.

Police previous instructed newshounds that every one 242 folks on board the airplane had died, with extra casualities anticipated at the flooring.

India’s Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has said that around 50 to 60 medical students after the Air India flight crashed into a doctors’ hostel.

The affiliation says 5 scholars are lacking, and a minimum of two are within the in depth care unit.

King Charles has penned a message expressing his surprise following the airplane crash.

Boeing said in a statement:

We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them.

Our ideas are with the passengers, staff, first responders and all affected.

An Air India flight from Gatwick Airport to Goa in India due to take off at 8.30pm on Thursday has been cancelled.

This comes amid the crash of a London-bound Air India flight with 242 passengers on board this morning.

No reason has been provided by Air India yet for the cancellation of the later flight from Gatwick.

The choice signifies that no Air India flights will arrive or leave from London Gatwick on Thursday.

Media gathers gather outside the North terminal following the crash

Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers on board the doomed Air India flight.

In a statement posted on social media, it said:

We can confirm flight AI171 that was involved in an accident on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today (12 June) was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25 BST.

London Gatwick is liaising closely with Air India and a reception centre for relatives of those on board is being set up where information and support will be provided.

British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call 020 7008 5000.

Air India have set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information. Our thoughts are with family and friends of those on board.

Ahmedabad police chief has said it appears no-one has survived the crash.

‘It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,’ Commissioner G.S. Malik told reporters.

He added that with the plane crashing in a residential area with offices, ‘some locals would have also died.’

‘Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,’ he said.

New photographs show the wreckage of Air India flight 171 after it crashed into a doctors’ hostel in Meghani shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport.

Plane parts are among the debris as rescuers scramble to find the 242 people on board the plane with many said to be killed.

Footage has emerged of the moment passengers at Ahmedabad airport saw Air India flight 171 crash just before they themselves were about to board flights.

Video posted by Asian News International shows travellers walking to their gates before they catch sight of smoke billowing near the airport.

Another eyewitness, who was at the airport at the time of the crash, told the Times of India: ‘As I was going to board an Indigo flight, I saw thick smoke coming out in the distance.

‘Soon after boarding the aircraft, an announcement for a flight delay was made. Later, we got to know through the media that a flight had crashed.’

More than 100 bodies were brought to a hospital in India’s Ahmedabad after the Air India plane crash, local police have said.

Local media is reporting that at least 91 people have died in the crash after their bodies were brought into hospitals across Gujarat state.

Authorities are yet to confirm the exact number of fatalities but the country’s health minister has said there are ‘many’ that have been killed.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, David Lammy has said.

The Foreign Secretary told the Commons:

My thoughts and I’m sure those of the entire House are with those who’ve been affected by the tragic plane crash in India this morning.

We know that British nationals were on board and I can confirm that the FCDO is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London.

Indian top minister Narendra Modi expressed surprise and unhappiness over the India Airlines crash in a observation on X.

*warning – scenes may be distressing*

We can now display yoiu photos from the rescue operation in Ahmedabad following the airplane crash of flight 171.

An eyewitness who lives close to the crash scene has told Indian media how he saw ‘dead bodies and debris scattered all over’ following the plane crash.

The man, who was interviewed just yards from the scene where the plane plummeted into a medical college, said he came to investigate after he heard a ‘massive sound’ at home.

He told the Press Trust of India news agency:

When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered all over.

An experienced pilot was flying Air India flight 171 when it crashed, it has emerged.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain, had 8,200 hours of flying experience.

First Officer Clive Kundar, who was assisting the captain, had 1,100 hours of flight experience.

The two males had been amongst 12 crewmembers on board on the time of the crash.

Air India has changed its profile picture to a black circle across its social media platforms following the crash this morning.

The airline has briefly switched from its same old purple and white brand in an obvious mark of recognize for passengers on board flight 171.

New photographs show crowds starting to build at the crash scene in Ahmedabad as rescuers scramble to find passengers on the crashed Air India flight.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a medical colleage before bursting into flames in the Meghani area of the city.

India’s health minister has confirmed ‘many people’ have been killed in the plane crash in the first official confirmation of fatalities.

Jagat Prakash Nadda said he wanted to provide ‘all possible help’ to families affected by the tragedy which is reported to the worst aviation disaster in the nation’s history.

In a statement on X, he said:

The news of many people getting killed in a plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is extremely sad. I appeal to all BJP workers to get involved in relief and rescue work and provide all possible help to the affected families. I pray to God to give strength to the bereaved families to bear the unbearable pain and to provide speedy recovery to the injured.

A former pilot has claimed multiple bird hits may have caused Air India flight 171 to crash with both engines losing power.

Reacting to the crash near Ahmedabad airport, captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, an ex-pilot, told NDTV:

It looks, prima facie, like a case of multiple bird hits wherein both the engines have lost power. The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.

Authorities are but to resolve the reputable explanation for the crash.

Bhupendra Patel, Gujurat’s chief minister, has told how a ‘war footing’ has been set up to help Air India passengers who will receive priority treatment at the state’s hospitals.

In a statement on X, Mr Patel wrote:

I am deeply saddened by the accident of the Air India passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad. I have instructed the officials to take immediate rescue and relief operations in the accident and to make arrangements for immediate treatment of the injured passengers on a war footing. I have also instructed to arrange a green corridor to take the injured passengers for treatment and to ensure all the treatment arrangements in the hospital on priority.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to have sent his top officials to Ahmedabad to help with the rescue operation.

It isn’t but identified if there are any survivors following the crash.

Air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport said the aircraft departed at 1.39pm local time (9.09am BST).

Moments later, the passenger jet sent out a ‘mayday’ call, signalling an emergency.

No reaction adopted the sign, in line with officers.

New photographs show Indian firefighters working at the scene of the plane crash after buildings were damaged in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has shared a statement on the Air India plane crash.

The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.

The PM added that he’s being stored up to the moment with the placement.

Air India has released more information regarding the nationalities of passengers.

The airline said 169 passengers are Indian nationals, 53 are British, one is Canadian and seven are Portuguese.

The Reuters news agency reported that 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.

The flight was once sporting a complete of 242 folks onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane.

A spokesperson for Ahmedabad Airport confirmed the plane crashed ‘shortly after takeoff, outside the airport.’

In a statement it added: ‘As a result, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice.

‘Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates before proceeding to the airport.

‘We request your cooperation and patience as authorities manage this evolving situation. Further updates will be provided as soon as available.’

Britain is working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the Air India plane crash and to provide support to those involved, the foreign office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Commons Leader Lucy Powell mentioned the United Kingdom Government will supply ‘all of the toughen that it could actually’ to these at the flight.

Air India’s Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran shared a heartfelt statement that read: ‘With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today.

‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.

‘We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.’

Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off.

The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

The plane was once offered in 2009 and greater than 1,000 were dropped at dozens of airways, in line with the flightradar24 web page.

Although officials are yet to release a statement on the crash.

Experts have suggested the amount of fuel used on an international route has worsened the fire following the crash impact, making it a more complicated rescue operation, the Times of India is reporting.

The flight crashed simply mins after commencing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad this afternoon.

The Times of India is reporting 242 people were on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane including 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.

Multiple fire engines and ambulances have been dispatched to the crash scene in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad.

According to the newspaper, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will open a formal investigation along with a possible technical team from Boeing.

Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke rising from the crash site near the international airport this morning.

Sections of the plane’s fuselage and tail were also seen protruding from a building.

Aviation expert Julian Bray told MailOnline: ‘It’s a Boeing Dreamliner that has gone down – not certain whether they’ve managed to get anybody off the plane.

‘If it has indeed crash landed and they can deploy the chutes out then they should be able to get people off in 90 seconds.

‘I am aware there are fire appliances in attendance – this is a major incident.

‘It is very disappointing that it is a Dreamliner as it is a state-of-the-art Boeing.

‘We can’t rule out safety problems,’ he mentioned, sooner than advising warning that he can handiest speculate at the moment.

Here is MailOnline’s breaking news story on the Air India crash

An Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 242 passengers and crew has crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.

Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, careened back to earth in the Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway.

Shocking images shared to social media showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from the crash site near the international airport this morning.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage as an Air India flight heading to London crashes in Ahmedabad.

Early reports state 242 people were on board the plane which was heading to London Gatwick.

Stick with us as we deliver you dwell updates in this breaking tale.