Indian police have confirmed that 242 people were aboard the Air India flight that crashed on Thursday in Ahmedabad, located in the western state of Gujarat. The figure significantly revises earlier reports, which suggested 133 passengers and crew were on the aircraft.
The plane had 53 Britons on board. The rest of the passengers were made up of 169 Indians, one Canadian and seven Portuguese.
The Air India flight, AI171, was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport, not to Birmingham, as previously stated.
Authorities say the aircraft went down outside the airport premises. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, has said he is “shocked and devastated” by the crash.
Quoted by the BBC, Naidu confirmed that emergency services have been placed on the highest alert, and that he is personally overseeing the rescue efforts.
“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and we are doing everything possible to provide medical assistance and support at the crash site. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on board and their families,” he stated.
The plane had a seating capacity of 256.
Source: PAP, Reuters
Photo: X @turbinetraveler
Tomasz Modrzejewski
