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Officials believe "there are no survivors" in the Air India Boeing passenger plane crash in a residential neighborhood in India.
“It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,” Commissioner G.S. Malik said, adding that “some locals would have also died” in buildings struck by the aircraft, via the New York Post.
“Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,” he added.
A total 242 people, including 11 children and 217 adults, were on board the plane at the time of the crash, a source confirmed to Reuters. The passengers were reportedly identified as 159 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian, according to Air India.
Air India Flight 171 crashed about five minutes after taking off for London Gatwick in Ahmedabad, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, India's director general of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, confirmed via the New York Post. The pilot made a "Mayday" call seconds after takeoff and videos shared online showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner moving downward before bursting into flames, at which point thick black smoke filled the skyline.
Photos shared by the Central Industrial Security Force's official X account from the scene showed the plane's tail protruding from the wall of a building, as well as onlookers standing next to the wreckage and a down tree near a living complex.
"Following the tragic crash of London-bound Air India flight AI 171 near Ahmedabad Airport, #CISF personnel immediately activated emergency protocols and rushed to the site. Rescue operations are being carried out in close coordination with local authorities and emergency services. CISF stands in solidarity with the victims and their families in this hour of grief," CISF wrote on its X account.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident "heartbreaking beyond words" in a post shared on his X account.
"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," Modi wrote.