At least 204 deaths in aircraft accident in India

Dense swaths of smoke rise above the scene of the accident. The demolished debris of the wreck, a burned -out wing, parts of the chassis, give an idea of ​​the extent of the disaster. At least 204 people died in an airplane crash in India, as the police from the German Press Agency announced. Numerous injuries were brought to hospitals.

242 people were on board. Air India’s aircraft had fallen into a building, according to unconfirmed reports, a « Mayday » call came from the cockpit shortly before the accident. How many of the victims were killed on the ground in or on the building remained unclear. The police initially spoke of a total of 40 injuries.

Rescue workers transported numerous corpses covered with white towels during the day. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of a « tragedy » that made stunned. « In this sad hour » his thoughts are among everyone affected.

Search for survivors runs

He had received the information that there were numerous fatalities, the Indian Minister of Health Jagat Prakash Nadda said on the platform X – without calling further details. Pictures and non -verified videos conveyed devastating impressions from the scene of the accident. Helpers searched for survivors in the evening. « The injured passengers were brought to the nearest hospitals by the local authorities, » said Air-India boss Campbell Wilson on the X.

The flight AI171, a Boeing of the 787 Dreamliner model, was to fly from Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat to London-Gatwick and arrive in England in the evening. The machine crashed only seconds after the start. According to the airline, citizens from India, Great Britain, Canada and Portugal were on board. Twelve crew members were divided for the flight.

Seven Portuguese among the passengers

In a post on the news platform X, Air India announced that 169 people with Indian, 53 with British, a person with Canadian and seven with Portuguese citizenship were in the aircraft.

Great sympathy: « Shattering » pictures

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz took part in X. « We mourn with the families and relatives, » he wrote, among other things. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed « the news of the devastating airport accident at Ahmedabad Airport, in which so many people lost their lives, deepened me. »

The British Prime Minister Keir Strander wrote that the scenes were « shocking ». British King Charles III. could be informed about the current development. He and his wife, Queen Camilla, are deeply shocked.

« We share their pain, » said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Aimed at India’s prime minister modes, she emphasized: « Europe is solidarity with you and the Indian people at that moment. »

Crash immediately after the start

According to data from the « FLIGHTRADAR24 » aircraft tracker, the eleven-year-old machine was planned for the flight with the labeling VT-ANB. This was to start in western India at 1:10 p.m. and land at Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. (every local time). Ahmedabad is one of the largest cities in India and is located in the west of the country. 5.6 million people lived there in the 2011 census.

According to « Flightradar24 », the first data of the so-called ADS-B system, which delivers data on position, speed and flight every second, show that the plane had risen to a barometric height of 625 feet (190 meters). After that, a speed of 475 feet per minute fell.

The cause of the crash was completely unclear for the time being. The news agency PA quoted Natarajan Chandraskaran of the Air India owners who spoke of a « tragic accident ». The main focus is on the support of all affected people and families.

Boeing machines in focus

On social media, videos and pictures of the scene of the accident spread immediately after the crash. The work of the emergency services can also be seen on the non -verified recordings.

According to the Aviation Safety Network Database, it was the first accident with a 787 Dreamliner. In recent years, Boeing had repeatedly made headlines due to security problems. 346 people were killed in the accidents with the 737 Max plane aircraft in October 2018 and March 2019. Aviation authorities around the world had then banned flight bans for the model.

Only after a few technical improvements, the model was gradually released for air traffic. After the crash on Thursday, the Boeing share dropped by almost eight percent. On request, Boeing announced that they were in contact with the airline. « Our thoughts are with the passengers, the crew, the first aiders and all those affected, » said Boeing.