Tragedy in Ahmedabad: Air India Flight AI171 Crash Claims Lives

An Air India flight carrying 242 passengers, including four from Udaipur, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flight AI171, tragically went down in the Meghani Nagar area, officials reported on Thursday.

In response to the disaster, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has communicated with the families of the victims, pledging the state's full support in these trying times. 'The administration stands with them, and all necessary help will be extended,' stated Udaipur District Magistrate Namit Mehta.

Western Railway has been proactive in sending its Disaster Management Team to the site, while also planning additional trains from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and Delhi to accommodate affected passengers. The Gujarat government has mobilized three National Disaster Response Force teams, comprising 90 personnel, as part of ongoing rescue efforts in the area where the aircraft hit a doctor's hostel, just outside the airport perimeter.

(With inputs from agencies.)