Ahmedabad: A catastrophic aviation disaster struck Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), operating Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed minutes after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all 242 passengers and crew members onboard.
Emergency Response and Hospital Coordination
In response to the disaster, the Gujarat Administrative Department (GAD) has taken swift administrative action by appointing four senior IAS officers to Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, the primary facility managing casualties and postmortem formalities.
The officers appointed are-
- Nitin Sangwan, Director, Employment and Training, Gandhinagar
- Harshit Gosavi, Joint Secretary (Law and Order), Home Department, Secretariat
- Arvind V, Managing Director, Gujarat Informatics Ltd (GIL)
- Dr. Prashant Jilova, Regional Commissioner of Municipalities, Ahmedabad
All officers have been directed to report immediately and work under the supervision of Dhananjay Dwivedi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department.
32 Gujarat Administrative Service Appointed
Apart from this, the services of 16 officers from the Gujarat Administrative Service (Junior Scale), Class-1, and 16 officers from the Mamlatdar cadre, Class-2, are hereby allocated to the Relief Division of the Revenue Department with immediate effect. This arrangement shall remain in force until further orders. The name of the officers are given below.
Crash Occurred Shortly After Takeoff
Officials confirmed the crash occurred approximately nine minutes after the aircraft received clearance for takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA). Onboard were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen, along with two pilots and 10 cabin crew members.
Eyewitnesses and rescue personnel reported dense black smoke and intense flames, complicating early efforts at the crash site. Authorities fear that severe burns, likely caused by an onboard fire, led to immediate fatalities. Some of the bodies recovered reportedly still had seatbelts fastened, highlighting the suddenness of the crash.
PM Modi, Global Leaders Respond to Crisis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, saying the crash had “stunned and saddened everyone.” Leaders from the UK, Portugal, and Canada have also extended their condolences and are expected to dispatch consular teams to support local efforts and coordinate with victim families.
Air India Responds, Helpline Activated
Air India released a brief statement – “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.”
The airline has activated a dedicated hotline (1800 5691 444) to assist the families of those onboard. Additionally, Air India has said it is coordinating with local and international authorities for support and investigation.
Airport Operations Suspended
Following the crash, SVPI Airport in Ahmedabad has been shut until further notice. All scheduled domestic and international operations have been suspended, with rerouting and cancellations affecting hundreds of travelers.
Investigation and Black Box Retrieval Underway
Preliminary investigations are being led by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Search crews are currently working to locate the flight data and cockpit voice recorders (black boxes), which are critical to understanding what caused the crash.
