by tamsin paternoster  & Alexander Blazard
It’s published •update
An Air India plane heading to London’s Gatwick airport, which has 232 passengers and a crew member, crashed on Thursday at Ahmedabad airport.
Air India reported that unlike the number of National Civil Aviation Administration, two fewer people (242 people) on board, including crew.
According to the airline, there were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, one Canadian citizen and seven Portuguese citizens.
Police initially said there were no survivors of those on board. However, authorities say one passenger survived the crash and is hospitalized.
The Boeing 787’s Dreamliner plane crashed into a residential area near the airport shortly after takeoff.
Local media reported that the aircraft had collided with a medical staff hostel in Ahmedabad shortly after leaving the runway. Unverified photos show the tail of an airplane in a building with feathers swirling with black smoke behind it.
It is unknown how many people were injured on the ground. Police Commissioner Malik said “some (residents) would have also died” in the wreckage.
“We have confirmed accurate figures regarding casualties,” Malik added. He later told the press that at least 41 people were taken to hospital for treatment.
Malik also told India’s ANI News Agency that one of the passengers identified by his seat number 11A survived the crash and was “in hospital and under treatment.”
The flight manifesto, published by the authorities, identifies Seat 11a person as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen.
“I received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC just seconds after takeoff,” the tracking of the website Flight Radar wrote in X’s post.
Air India Flights were scheduled to arrive at 6:25pm local time (7:25pm).
Video from the scene shows a low-flying aircraft chasing the flames and descending towards residential areas before it explodes into orange and black smoke.
“Beyond words, it’s heartbreaking.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “more than words and heartbreaking.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said, “The scene of a London-bound plane carrying many British citizens crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad is devastating.”
The UK Foreign Office has arranged the crisis teams for India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lamey said.
“My thoughts and I am sure the people throughout the house are those affected by the tragic crash of planes in India this morning,” Ramie told the House.
“We know that the British people are on board and we can see that FCDO is working urgently with local governments to support the British people and their families, and have set up a crisis team in both Delhi and London.”
Indian Aviation Minister Kinjarap Ram Mohan Naidu said he was “shocked and devastated” when news of a crash accident in India’s state of Gujarat broke.
“We are most vigilant. I personally monitor the situation and direct all aviation and emergency response agencies to take prompt and coordinated action,” Ram Mohan Naidu said.
“The rescue team is mobilised and every effort is made to ensure medical assistance and relief assistance is rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all people and their families.”
Jett was 11 years old. This is the first crash of the Boeing 787 introduced in 2011, according to the Air Safety Network Database.
Boeing said it was aware of the report and “working to gather more information.”
“The company’s main focus is to support all affected people and their families,” said Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran.
