An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has crashed near an airport on the sting of India’s western metropolis of Ahmedabad with at the very least 242 individuals on board.
In accordance with Reuters, rescue staff mentioned between 30 and 35 our bodies had been recovered from the crash web site in a densely populated space of town. Up to now, no survivors have been reported.
Flight AI171 was headed to London Gatwick Airport on Thursday the place it was because of land at 6:25pm native time (17:25 GMT).
“Of those [on board], 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian nationwide and seven Portuguese nationals,” Air India mentioned in a press release. The airline described the incident as “a tragic accident”.
“Many individuals” have died within the crash, the nation’s well being minister Jagat Prakash Nadda wrote in a put up on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has shocked and saddened us. It’s heartbreaking past phrases. On this unhappy hour, my ideas are with everybody affected by it.
“Have been in contact with ministers and authorities who’re working to help these affected.”
This incident is the most recent in a sequence of significant and deadly occasions within the civil aviation business this 12 months, together with a midair collision in Washington in January between a navy helicopter and an plane.
The place and when did the aircraft crash?
The aircraft crashed in a residential space known as Meghani Nagar, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, head of the Directorate Basic of Civil Aviation, advised The Related Press.
The town of 7-8 million individuals is in President Modi’s residence state of Gujarat. Modi has directed the Ministry of Civil Aviation to take “all attainable motion” to help on the crash web site.
There’s a massive Gujarat inhabitants in Nice Britain, and the Ahmedabad-London route is a well-liked one.
In accordance with flight monitoring web site Flightradar24, the aircraft’s closing sign was obtained simply seconds after takeoff at 1:38pm native time (08:08 GMT). It had reached an altitude of 625 toes (190 metres) earlier than crashing again to the bottom exterior the airport, near densely populated residential areas on the outskirts of town.
The aircraft issued a mayday alert to air visitors management earlier than all communications from the plane ceased.
Ahmedabad airport has been closed and all flight operations have been suspended till additional discover.
What do we all know concerning the crash web site?
Footage shared on social media of the crash web site confirmed particles on fireplace, with big plumes of thick, black smoke rising into the sky close to the airport.
Additionally they confirmed individuals being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.
India’s CNN Information-18 TV channels mentioned the aircraft crashed on high of the eating space of state-run B.J. Medical Faculty hostel, killing many medical college students as properly. It confirmed a visible of a portion of the plane perched atop the constructing.
“The constructing on which it has crashed is a docs’ hostel…Now we have cleared nearly 70 % to 80 % of the world and can clear the remainder quickly,” a senior police officer additionally advised reporters.
Native journalist Sunil Vaidya advised Al Jazeera: “The crash web site may be very near a civil hospital the place there’s a medical faculty,” he mentioned. “It’s fairly attainable that college students learning there are staying in a hostel close by.”
How unhealthy is that this incident?
This might be a really critical crash, consultants say. Alex Macheras, an impartial aviation analyst, advised Al Jazeera that the Boeing 787 is a long-haul craft, which suggests it has capability for numerous passengers.
“That is most likely going to be one of many worst aviation incidents for Indian aviation historical past in current many years,” Macheras mentioned.
Nevertheless, he added that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, of which there are 1,100 in operation around the globe, has an excellent observe report for security.
“There has by no means been a deadly crash involving a 787 Dreamliner earlier than this,” Macheras mentioned. He mentioned the incident would elevate critical questions on what may have gone mistaken with this flight and why the plane was “struggling to realize altitude” after takeoff.
What do we all know concerning the Boeing 787 Dreamliner craft?
“The 787 has been in service for 15 years – it is a mid to long-haul passenger plane, one of many newest from Boeing when it comes to the event and the introduction of carbon-fibre plane,” Macheras advised Al Jazeera.
“It supplies airways with immense effectivity but in addition with the promise of stellar security report that the 787 has. In truth, in its 15 years of economic service globally, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has by no means been concerned in a crash or a complete loss or a deadly accident,” Macheras mentioned.
“So mixed, it’s an plane that the business is aware of is of the very best requirements when it comes to assembly security rules globally, throughout completely different markets but in addition one that’s trusted and basically a workhorse of the skies in relation to long-haul journey”.
Macheras added that he’s listening to from executives throughout the aviation business who’re “totally shocked” on the footage.
They “can’t fairly consider that an plane with an impeccable security report was concerned in one thing that appears like goes to be so catastrophic”, he mentioned.
What are the authorities doing now?
ANI information company reported that at the very least 90 emergency response staff are presently deployed on the web site of the crash.
India’s Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu mentioned he was “shocked and devastated” by the aircraft crash.
“I’m personally monitoring the scenario and have directed all aviation and emergency response companies to take swift and coordinated motion. Rescue groups have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to make sure medical help and aid assist are being rushed to the location.”
“My ideas and prayers are with all these on board and their households,” he added.
Elsewhere, Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran mentioned that “additional updates might be shared as we obtain extra verified info. An emergency centre has been activated and assist group have been arrange for households looking for info.”
Nevertheless, native individuals mentioned little info was reaching these anxious about family members on the flight or on the bottom the place it crashed. Vaidya advised Al Jazeera: “It’s chaos. They’ve cordoned off the accident web site and ambulances are speeding to hospitals. However most people and family – they don’t seem to be getting any info.”
Have Air India planes crashed up to now?
Sure, however not for a while.
Air India’s security report is comparable with worldwide carriers equivalent to Turkish Airways, American Airways or Lufthansa. Nevertheless, it’s not as protected as “top-tier” carriers like Singapore Airways or Emirates (which have had zero, or near-zero, deadly crashes in current many years).
Earlier situations of deadly Air India crashes embrace:
- 1966: Flight 101, a Boeing 707, crashed into Mont Blanc within the European Alps, killing all 117 individuals on board.
- 1978: Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashed into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 213 passengers and crew.
- 1985: Flight 182, a Boeing 747, crashed when a bomb was detonated on board, killing all 329 individuals on board.
- 1982: Flight 403, a Boeing 707, crashed throughout a tough touchdown, killing 17 individuals.
The unprofitable provider was acquired by the Tata Group from the Indian authorities in 2021.
Air India is presently in the midst of a strategic turnaround, together with making a big plane order because it seeks to faucet rising demand from India’s increasing center class.
Have there been different Boeing disasters in recent times?
Sure.
Boeing, which leads the worldwide plane market alongside Europe’s Airbus, has come underneath intense scrutiny over its security report since two deadly crashes involving the Boeing 737 Max in 2018 and 2019.
The 737 Max jets have been grounded worldwide for nearly two years after a crash killed 189 individuals in Indonesia in October 2018 and one other killed 157 individuals in Ethiopia 5 months later.
It was discovered that the crashes had occurred because of defects within the automated flight management software program, which activated erroneously.
The software program was improved and the Boeing 737s have been revamped and cleared to fly once more.
Then, in January 2024, the door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 flew off midair throughout an Alaska Airlines flight.
The Alaska Airways incident was discovered to have been brought on by a defect within the manufacturing course of, with unfastened {hardware} on the plane.
In March 2024, John Barnett, 62, who reported security issues at Boeing, died from an obvious “self-inflicted” harm in the course of the time he was giving proof in a whistleblower lawsuit towards the corporate.
Barnett labored as a high quality supervisor for the US plane large for greater than three many years till he retired in 2017.
In 2019, Barnett alleged the plane maker, primarily based simply exterior Washington, DC, had intentionally fitted planes with defective components and passengers on its 787 Dreamliner might be left with out oxygen within the occasion of a sudden decompression.
Boeing has denied these allegations.
