Ahmedabad plane crash | 'We have lost a lot of people': Ministry of External Affairs extends condolences on 'tragic accident'

Hours after an Air India aircraft with 242 people onboard crashed in the Indian state of Gujarat's Ahmedabad, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in the ministry's press briefing said that “a lot of people were lost.” The number of casualties in the incident is still unknown and rescue operations are underway.

Replying to a question by ANI, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "What has happened in Ahmedabad is a very tragic accident. We have lost a lot of people. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. There are several foreigners. You will receive the updates from the relevant departments: Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, and others. That is the latest I can share. It is an evolving situation. The rescue operations are on. We need to wait a little more time for exact details to be put out..."

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.