Guwahati: Two residents of Manipur, Lamnunthem Singson and Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam were feared to be among the cabin crew members aboard Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on its way to London Gatwick on Thursday.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1:38 pm, was carrying a total of 242 people, including eight cabin crew and two senior cabin crew members. The flight was bound for London Gatwick when it was involved in what Air India has described as an “accident” shortly after departure.
In an official statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Air India confirmed:
“Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off.”
Of the 242 passengers and crew on board, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals.
While specific details of the crash are still under investigation, emergency responders were quickly dispatched to the scene and the injured are being transported to nearby hospitals. The extent of injuries remains unclear at the time of reporting.
Air India stated that it is “extending full cooperation to authorities investigating the incident.” The cause of the crash is yet to be officially determined. More information is expected to follow as the situation develops.
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