"Fire, clouds of smoke, debris all around," eyewitness recalls Gujarat plane crash horror

An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London with 242 people on board crashed into a doctors' hostel near the Ahmedabad Airport shortly after taking off on Thursday, a senior police officer said.

Speaking with ANI, the eyewitness said, "I saw fire, clouds of smoke, debris scattered all around. I couldn't understand anything. Later, I realised that the plane had crashed here. The police then cordoned off the area."

Speaking about the building in which the plane crashed, the eyewitness said, "It is a residential building, doctors live there."

Another eyewitness recalled the incident and said, "We heard the blast, so we rushed to the spot. I saw smoke and fire. Doctors' flats have been damaged. It's a horrific incident."

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

According to senior police officials, the aircraft crashed into a doctor's hostel located just outside the airport perimeter. "After the takeoff, the plane crashed here and after a preliminary enquiry, we got to know that the ... plane crashed into a building, which is a doctors' hostel," Jaipal Singh Rathore, Joint Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, told reporters.

The Gujarat government has mobilised three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), comprising 90 personnel, from Gandhinagar to the crash site to aid rescue operations.

Western Railway has announced that it will operate additional trains from Ahmedabad after the plane crash to ensure smooth transportation.

The Ahmedabad City Police has released an emergency helpline number for assistance and information related to the crash. "Ahmedabad City Police Emergency Number for Police Emergency Services and necessary information related to the Ahmedabad Plane Crash 07925620359," Ahmedabad Police stated in a post on X. (ANI)