Fatal plane crash kills 240+ in India
Shafaq News/ At least 240 people were confirmed dead when an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after take-off, Indian authorities announced on Thursday.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had just departed with 242 people on board, including passengers and crew, en route to Gatwick Airport in southern England, when it crashed near the airport in a crowded residential area.
“There appear to be no survivors,” a local police commissioner informed reporters at the scene.
Air India reported that the aircraft was carrying 217
adults, 11 children, and two infants. The nationalities of those on board
included 169 Indian citizens, 53 from the United Kingdom, seven Portuguese
nationals, and one Canadian.
This marks the deadliest accident involving the Dreamliner since the aircraft’s entry into service in 2011.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed the aircraft type, noting that it was operating under normal parameters before the sudden loss of contact.
Authorities have also launched an investigation, led jointly by Air India and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The cause of the crash remains unknown.
