Air India plane crash: Special team of caregivers arrives in Ahmedabad to aid relief ops

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 12 (ANI): A special team of caregivers from Air India arrived in Ahmedabad to provide support to the teams operating on the ground, the airline said.
"We are working with local authorities to provide necessary assistance and are extending full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," Air India said in a post on X.
Air India will release further information via regular updates on our X handle (https://x.com/airindia) and on http://airindia.com.
Air India will release further information via regular updates on our X (https://x.com/airindia) and on http://airindia.com.
Meanwhile, Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said the airline owes it to the affected families to share "accurate and timely information" rather than speculation.
"I want to brief on a serious incident that involved an Air India aircraft a short while ago. First, and most importantly, I would like to express deep sorrow about this event. This is a difficult day for all of us in Air India, and our efforts are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones. I know that there are many questions, and at this stage, I would not be able to answer all of them. But I do want to share the information we have at this time," Wilson said in a video message shared on X.
Wilson emphasised the importance of avoiding speculation and committed to providing verified information.
"We understand that people are eager for information. Please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can. But anything we report must be accurate and not speculative; we owe that to everyone involved. For now, our teams are working around the clock to support passengers, crew and their families as well as investigators, however we can," he said.
An Air India plane from Ahmedabad to London with 242 passengers crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport.
"On 12th Jun, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB, while operating flight Al-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the aircraft, consisting of 2 pilots and 10 cabin crew," said a senior DGCA official.
Confirming the incident, Air India said that among the 242 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 Britishers, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national.
"Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," the airline said.
The aircraft was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Capt Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience, the official further added.
Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site, said the official. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen at the accident spot. (ANI)