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Members of the Indian cricket fraternity expressed deep sorrow and extended heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families on Thursday after a London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft, carrying 242 people including 12 crew members, went down at 1:38 PM, near Ahmedabad airport. India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who hails from Gujarat, shared his grief on X: "Deeply saddened by the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad today. My heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives, including passengers, crew, and those on the ground. Thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this unimaginable loss." https://x.com/imjadeja/status/1933153324158574824 India's Ravichandran Ashwin who recently retired from international cricket expressed his thoughts: "Heartbreaking to hear about the crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts are with the families of those affected." https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/1933156778965074197 Young India batter Tilak Varma also posted: "Deeply saddened by the news. My heartfelt prayers and strength to every member of the family during this difficult time." India batter Mayank Agarawal expressed his grief: "Very disturbing news and visuals coming from Ahmedabad.In such moments, words feel small. All we can do is pray for passengers, crew and their families." The crash has cast a pall of grief across the country, with messages of support and sorrow pouring in from across the sporting world and beyond. The Air India flight with 242 people onboard, including 12 crew members, rammed into a doctors' hostel in the Meghani area shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the doctors' hostel near the airport perimeter. Air India said that among the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national. "Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hours, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals. We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident," the Airlines said. The aircraft was under the command of Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kundar. Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal is an LTC with 8200 hours of experience. The official added that the copilot had 1100 hours of flying experience. As per ATC, the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC. Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. The official said that heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site. (ANI)
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