Witness recounts Air India plane crash
An Air India flight headed for London crashed into a neighborhood near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, just minutes after takeoff. The Boeing 787 was carrying 242 people when it sent a Mayday call and then lost contact with air traffic control. Sadly, more than 100 people are feared dead.
Flight took off at 1:39pm
Pilots Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar took off at 1:39pm but quickly ran into trouble, radioing for help before the plane went down in a residential area. Most passengers were Indian, along with some British, Portuguese, and one Canadian citizen.
Air India has set up a helpline for families
Rescue teams are treating survivors in local hospitals. Air India has set up a helpline for families and paused all flights from Ahmedabad for now. The government has launched an investigation to figure out what caused the crash so soon after takeoff—with experts from India and abroad working together to find answers.