The London-bound Air India flight with 242 people on board was “devastating,” and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that a crisis team will be created in New Delhi and London to support British nationals and their families who are affected by the crash.
The Boeing 171 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad in Gujarat at 1.38 pm (IST) on Thursday for it to crash seconds later on the B.J. Medical College, which is at a distance of 3km from the Sardar Vallabbhai Patel International Airport. Prime Minister Kier Starmer said, “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British Nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.
His statement came soon after a British agency that investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents said it will be deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian-led investigation into the crash.
Starmer released a statement on X, calling the visuals “absolutely devastating” and acknowledging the emotional impact felt by families in both the UK and India:
“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has activated crisis response teams in both London and the UK High Commission in Delhi to provide support and urgent information to the families of British passengers:
“We are aware that a flight from Ahmedabad to London has crashed near Ahmedabad airport. We are working with local authorities to urgently establish the facts and provide support. Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
The AAIB statement reads: “The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India. In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation… because UK citizens were on board the aircraft.
“We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian led investigation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident.” In a video message issued from Downing Street on Thursday evening, the UK PM also reiterated an earlier statement about being “devastated” by the scenes from the crash site in Gujarat.
“The images and news from India is absolutely devastating and I speak for the entire country in saying that our thoughts are with each and every one of those involved. There will be British and Indian families across the land who are absolutely impacted and our thoughts, first and foremost, are with them,” he said.
In addition, King Charles III and the British Royal Family have conveyed their condolences, with the Royal Household describing the crash as a “deeply distressing” event and confirming that the King is closely monitoring the situation .
The Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a residential area in Ahmedabad minutes after taking off. There were 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals onboard apart from 12 crew members.
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