Online Desk
A London-bound Air India flight (AI171), a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed around 2 pm local time, less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport.
75 bodies have been recovered from the Atulyam Flats and Civil Hospital staff quarters in Meghaninagar, where the plane crashed.
Police have said one survivor was found who escaped by jumping out of an emergency window. The survivor, who had minor injuries and was able to walk away unaided from the site of the crash, is being treated for serious injuries at Civil Hospital, Asarwa.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, reportedly travelling in Business Class (Z category), has also been confirmed dead.
The DGCA said the flight took off at 1:39 pm IST, issued a “MAYDAY” call, and crashed just outside the airport after reaching about 825 feet altitude.
Thick black smoke rose from the crash site near Forensic Cross Road, with visuals showing massive wreckage and fire. Firefighters and rescue teams are on site.
The Ahmedabad Airport resumed operations after shutting down briefly for around three hours. Air India issued a dedicated passenger hotline - 1800 5691 444 - to provide information about the crash.