Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed profound grief Thursday after an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all onboard including 53 British nationals.
In an official statement, PM Starmer described the scenes emerging from Gujarat’s capital city as “devastating,” while PM Modi called the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words.” The Indian leader added, “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected.”
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying over 240 passengers and crew, plunged into a densely populated area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, sending plumes of black smoke over the city of five million. Firefighters battled flames engulfing the fuel-laden wreckage and adjacent buildings, with charred remains visible at the crash site.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed no survivors from Flight AI171, noting additional civilian casualties in the residential-commercial zone. “Exact casualty figures are being verified,” he told AP.
In the UK House of Commons, Cabinet Minister Lucy Powell pledged full government support for affected families: “We send deepest sympathy and will provide all necessary assistance to those in both countries.”
The tragedy occurs days before the Paris Air Show and renews scrutiny on Boeing’s safety record, though the Dreamliner series had no prior fatal crashes unlike its troubled 737 MAX counterpart.