Air India crash: One person survived, 240 killed in crash

AHMEDABAD, India — An Air India flight had just taken off from Ahmedabad, India, en route to London when it crashed near the airport.

Officials said more than 240 passengers and crew members were on board the 787 Dreamliner. Thursday’s crash is the first of the type of Boeing plane in the history of the aircraft, The Associated Press reported.

240 killed

Update 1:12 p.m. ET, June 12: A top state police officer in the city where the plane crashed confirms that at least 240 people were killed.

Vidhi Chaudhary said that some of those killed were medical students who lived in what is called a college hostel, or previously called a dorm, when the plane slammed into the building.

India’s home minister said he has met with the lone survivor, The New York Times reported.

One passenger may have survived

Update 12:20 p.m. ET, June 12: Press Trust of India reported that at least one passenger survived the crash, according to the AP, which was not able to independently confirm.

The BBC reported that Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told Indian news agency that the man, using a flight manifest identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was in seat 11A.

Ramesh’s cousin spoke to the BBC and said he had called his family, saying he was “fine” but did not know what happened to his brother, who was also on the plane.

The AP reported that a doctor at Ahmedabad hospital has said it received the remains of 186 people.

There were 242 people on board the flight, The New York Times reported.

Building plane crashed into was dorm

Update 9:35 a.m. ET, June 12: The president of FAIMA Doctors’ Association said the building that the plane crashed into was a dorm for medical students attending B.J. Medical College, The Washington Post reported.

Aksay Dongardive said it appears that 32 to 40 undergraduate students were injured. They are being treated at an area hospital. He said there was no confirmation of fatalities or the exact number of missing students. He also shared a photo on X of the plane’s landing gear inside the building.

King Charles III releases statement

Update 9:05 a.m. ET, June 12: King Charles III released a statement which read, “Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. is offering investigative support if Indian officials request it.

The National Transportation Safety Board would be the primary team, with the Federal Aviation Administration giving technical support, the AP reported.

While officials in India said there were no survivors on the Dreamliner, they have not said how many people on the ground were either injured or killed. Earlier, Commissioner G.S. Malik told the AP that since the plane crashed in a residential area that also had offices, “some locals would have also died. Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained.”

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Boeing releases a statement

Update 8:30 a.m. ET, June 12: Boeing released a statement which read, “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”

Police commissioner: No survivors

Update 7:48 a.m. ET, June 12: The city’s police commissioner told the AP that there appear to be no survivors from the plane.

Officials said that at least five students of B.J. Medical College were killed. A dining facility where the plane crashed had 60 to 80 students inside, with 10 to 12 trapped in a fire, the college’s dean said, according to The New York Times.

India’s Central Industrial Security Force released a photo of the plane’s tail sticking out of a building.

Original report: An official death toll has not been released, other than India’s health minister saying “many people” had died, The New York Times reported.

Air India Flight AI 171 crashed in the city, setting buildings on fire. Since it had just taken off, it was carrying a full load of fuel.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words.” He posted to social media, “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected.”

Ahmedabad is the capital of Gujarat, the home state of the prime minister. It crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, near a local medical college, about five minutes after takeoff, the AP and the Times reported.

The Washington Post said the plane’s signal was lost when it was at an altitude of about 625 feet.

Many of those on board were British nationals.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer released a statement which read, “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.”

Of the 242 passengers on the flight, 169 were from India, 53 were Britons, seven were from Portugal and one passenger was Canadian, the AP reported.

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said in a statement, “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.” He added that the company was “supporting all the affected people and their families” and helping first responders at the crash site, the Times reported.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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