Ahmedabad plane crash: Boeing Airplanes issues statement, says 'We are in contact with Air India'

Hours after an Air India aircraft with 242 people onboard crashed in the Indian state of Gujarat's Ahmedabad, Boeing Airplanes have issued a statement.

In a post on X, it said, “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.”

The incident took place in Meghani area near the Ahmedabad airport, five minutes after take-off. The plane, en route to London, had taken off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm IST.

The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, and one Canadian besides the crew.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, issued a "Mayday" call to Air Traffic Control shortly before the plane lost contact. A mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used in radio communication. It indicates an imminent danger.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Rammohan Naidu, and took stock of the situation. In a post on X, he said that the incident is ‘heartbreaking beyond words.’ He added that he has been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.

Air India changed its profile picture on its social media handles to black as a sign of mourning. On its website, Air India is carrying the flight number - AI 171 - in black with a black band.

Social media visuals showed fire hoses extinguishing the flames, fire engines lining up to the residential area, and first responders carrying out what appeared to be dead bodies from the site.

The Ahmedabad Police cleared most of the area. Around 400 CISF paramilitary troops deployed at Ahmedabad airport were also pressed into rescue operations after the plane crashed into the medical college and nearby buildings.