One British passenger has survived a crash involving a Gatwick Airport-bound plane which crashed in a fireball shortly after take-off in India, it has been reported.
The Air India flight, which was carrying more than 240 people from the city of Ahmedabad—including 53 British nationals—collided with a medical college on Thursday.
The Hindustan Times said 40-year-old British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived the crash, telling the newspaper: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.”
A video of the crash circulating online showed the aircraft flying over a residential area before disappearing behind trees, followed by a huge explosion and large plumes of black smoke.
The public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives, Downing Street said.
Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into BJ Medical College as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke.
Pieces of the aircraft’s landing gear, fuselage, and tail could all be seen protruding from the building.
Officials said the flight was departing from Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Air India said on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of those who were killed in the crash.
The company said it would also cover the medical costs of those injured and provide support in the “building up” of the medical college the plane crashed into.
Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, told AP at least five medical students had been killed and around 50 were injured after the plane collided with the college.
Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed his “deep sorrow” after the incident, adding, “This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.”
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said.
The King said he was “desperately shocked” by the incident and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated on the developing situation.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the crash was “devastating,” while his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said it was “heartbreaking beyond words.”
Asked if people should prepare for a significant loss of life, a Downing Street spokesman told reporters: “Yes. As the PM said this morning, the scenes emerging of the London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city at Ahmedabad are devastating.
“Clearly this is a deeply distressing time for families. The situation is still unfolding.”
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a “tragic accident” and a “devastating event,” and said emergency response teams are at the site.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.
Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers on board the Air India flight.
It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Flightradar24 said flight tracking data shows after taking off, the plane reached a maximum altitude of 625 feet, which is about 425 feet above the airport.
It then started to descend at a rate of 475 feet per minute.
Gatwick said there was no impact on wider flight operations at the airport, but a Thursday evening flight to Goa had been cancelled.
The FCDO said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.
