Chaos and Rescue Efforts Unfold After Air India Crash in Ahmedabad

A devastating scene unfolded in Ahmedabad after an Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff, sending shockwaves through the city and prompting a large-scale emergency response.

Even hours after the crash, smoke continued to rise from the charred remains of buildings impacted by the accident. Burned debris, including a twisted bed frame, was scattered in the streets as emergency teams worked urgently to locate survivors.

Firefighters waded through smouldering wreckage, dousing flames with water hoses. Dozens of ambulances and emergency vehicles jammed the surrounding roads, while police blocked access to the site. Families of passengers began to gather anxiously near the area, desperate for information.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, was carrying 242 passengers. Most were Indian citizens, but British, Portuguese, and Canadian nationals were also on board. The plane crashed into a building housing a doctors’ hostel near the city’s Civil Hospital.

Local residents described hearing a thunderous noise followed by a thick cloud of smoke rising from the site. Witnesses reported chaotic scenes, with some people leaping from upper floors to escape the flames.

One woman said her son had just returned to the hostel for lunch when the crash occurred. He jumped from the building and sustained injuries but survived.

Rescue workers, supported by volunteers from nearby communities, helped transport injured individuals to the hospital. Images from the scene show victims being carried on stretchers and loaded into ambulances.

The full extent of casualties and damage is still unclear as emergency operations continue. Meanwhile, worried relatives and onlookers continue to wait near the hospital for updates on their loved ones.