In a devastating aviation disaster, Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people including 12 crew members, struck a nearby doctors’ hostel outside the airport perimeter.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed that one male passenger seated in 11A was found alive and is currently undergoing treatment. “We cannot confirm the number of fatalities at this point, but the toll may rise as the crash occurred in a residential area,” he told ANI.

The flight departed at 13:39 IST from Runway 23. Shortly afterward, a Mayday call was made, but the aircraft lost contact with ATC. Witnesses saw heavy black smoke as the aircraft plummeted and struck the residential building.

The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an experienced pilot with over 8,200 hours of flight time. The co-pilot, Clive Kundar, had logged 1,100 hours. Of the 230 passengers onboard, 169 were Indians, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian national.

Three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 90 personnel, have been deployed to the crash site. Emergency services, including ambulances and fire brigades, are engaged in rescue operations. Affected individuals can call Air India’s emergency hotline at 1800 5691 444.

The Ahmedabad Police also released a helpline for the public: 07925620359.

Air India confirmed the incident and is cooperating with aviation authorities. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.