By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
SMOKE AND flames engulfed a densely populated neighbourhood in Ahmedabad after a passenger jet bound for London Gatwick crashed into residential buildings, killing all 242 people aboard and several on the ground.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck a housing complex for doctors and their families minutes after takeoff, splitting apart and igniting fires that swept through homes and a student canteen.
Bodies were seen scattered across the site as emergency teams struggled to control the blaze.
Firefighters and medics worked amid smouldering wreckage, using stretchers and carts to move remains through narrow streets shrouded in ash and smoke.
A section of the fuselage lay embedded in a collapsed building as thick black clouds rose above the scene.
Police confirmed there were no known survivors. Ahmedabad’s commissioner said at least 204 bodies had been recovered by late afternoon, with both passengers and residents among the dead.
The plane had issued a distress call moments before the crash, according to India’s aviation authority.
The jet carried 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, along with two pilots and ten crew members.
Officials said the plane lost control immediately after departure and plunged into the Ghoda Camp area, situated between a hospital and a student dining block.
Onlookers described horrific scenes.
Local resident Poonam Patni said the ground was strewn with bodies and burning debris.
A doctor at the scene said parts of the aircraft landed directly on the canteen where students were eating lunch, while another section tore into a residential block housing medical professionals.
The airport suspended all flights indefinitely. Photographs released by India’s Central Industrial Security Force showed the tail section of the aircraft jutting from a demolished structure.
Rescue efforts were continuing late into the evening with support from the Indian military.
Air India has set up an emergency response centre for relatives and released a statement expressing condolences to affected families.
Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed support teams were deployed to assist those seeking information.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes as devastating and said he was receiving updates. King Charles III expressed deep shock at the loss of life.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed consular support was being offered to families of British victims.
Boeing stated it was in contact with Air India and pledged technical assistance. The crash marks the first recorded fatal incident involving a 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The model is one of Boeing’s most modern jets and widely used for long-haul international routes.
India has witnessed several deadly aviation disasters over recent decades. In 2010, an Air India Express flight crashed in Mangalore, killing 158 people.
The deadliest remains the 1996 mid-air collision over New Delhi that claimed nearly 350 lives.
The country’s aviation sector has experienced explosive growth, fuelled by economic expansion and increased demand for air travel.
Last year, domestic passenger traffic reached over 500,000 travellers in a single day for the first time, according to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Air India, now undergoing rapid fleet expansion, had recently finalised a massive deal for 470 aircraft, including Boeing and Airbus models.
The airline said its focus remains on supporting victims’ families and assisting authorities with the investigation.
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