New Delhi: As many as 169 Indians were among the passengers onboard the London-bound Air India plane that crashed near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon. The ll-fated flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick was carrying 242 passengers and crew members onboard.
The passengers also included 53 British, 1 Canadian, 7 Portugese citizens. The Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed in Meghaninagar area near the Ahmedabad international airport around 2 pm. It departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, Air India said in a statement on social media platform ‘X’. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals,” it said.
The injured are being rushed to the nearest hospitals and rescue efforts are currently underway, the airline said. “We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” it said. Air India also said that it is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he is monitoring the situation and directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families,” he said in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Civil Aviation Minister and taken stock of the situation.
