A tragic incident occurred last night when Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from a city with a population of five million. As of now, there is only one confirmed survivor among the passengers and crew. The estimated death toll could reach as high as 290, which may also include casualties on the ground.
The Boeing aircraft, identified as VT-ANB, was en route to London. This flight was part of the plane’s recent journey across the globe, which included a stop in Melbourne just a week prior. It had successfully landed in Melbourne from Delhi earlier, arriving after an 11.5-hour flight on June 8, where it touched down at 5:02 am.
Following its Melbourne landing, the plane departed for Delhi later the same day at 11:44 pm. In the aftermath of its flight to Delhi, VT-ANB made stops at major international destinations such as Paris and Tokyo. Its last completed flight before the ill-fated crash was a short leg from Delhi to Ahmedabad.
The aircraft landed in Ahmedabad at approximately 10:07 am, and shortly thereafter, took off at about 1:38 pm, aiming for London. Tragically, within just a minute of departure, it lost altitude and crashed back to the ground.
The cause of this disastrous event is still under investigation, with ongoing search and rescue operations in place to ascertain further details and to assist any potential survivors. The scene has been described as apocalyptic, highlighting the severity of this aviation disaster.