An Air India crash killed at least 241 people and left one sole survivor, marking the most devastating plane crash in a decade.
The airline revealed that the Boeing 787-8 that departed from Ahmedabad crashed on X and carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
“We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,” the post said.
“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones.”
Of those on board, there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.
The sole survivor was a British man named Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who sat in seat 11A next to the emergency exit.
"We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened. Just utter shock. Speechless," the survivor's brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh told the BBC.
"He [Vishwashkumar] himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out the plane.”
The plane left the airport heading for London’s Gatwick airport at 1:38pm local time on Thursday (6:38pm AEST).
Almost immediately after take-off, it sent a mayday call to local aviation authorities and after indicating an emergency, the pilots did not respond to calls from air traffic control.
The FlightRadar 24 website shows that the plane reached 625 feet (190 metres) before descending.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it would send investigators to India.
“We understand people are eager for information, and please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can,” CEO Campbell Wilson said.
Boeing has also issued a statement and said they are offering their full support to the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said.
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