Cricketing fraternity have expressed their sadness at the Air India Flight to London from Ahmedabad crashing five minutes after it took off on Thursday afternoon. The likes of Dodda Ganesh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu went on to express their condolences as the aircraft landed near a doctor's hostel at the Meghani area.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carried 242 people that comprised 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The flight took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport in London. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar had flown the plane and the aircraft took off at 1:38, crashing five minutes after that.
Emergency services rushed to the scene immediately, with seven fire engines also storming onto the spot to take control of the situation. Chilling visuals of the same surfaced on social media as a ball of fire emerged as soon as the plane crashed.
Watch some of the cricketers reacting to the tragic incident:
Unclear how many deaths reported amid the crash
At this stage, it's unclear how many have passed away as several media publications have been reporting different information. Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a statement that said:
"Air India, B787 Dreamliner aircraft, Ahmedabad to London (Gatwick) airport, had crashed into a residential area (Meghani Nagar), taking off at 1:38 PM, and crashed 5 minutes after takeoff. Directorate of Airworthiness (DAW), Assistant Directors of Airworthiness (ADAW) and one Flight Operations Inspector (FOI) already in Ahmedabad for some other task. They are getting details."
As per India Today, the passenger list had comprised 169 Indians, including ex Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
