Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were among those who offered their sympathies as the Air India plane crashed in a residential area in Meghani Nagar near the airport perimeter while heading for London after takeoff on Thursday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had 242 passengers on board.
Rohit and Kohli posted messages on social media and extended their support to the grieving families, wishing strength and prayers to them at this tragic time.
“Shocked to hear about the plane crash at Ahmedabad today. Prayers for all those affected and thoughts with their families.” Virat Kohli posted on his Instagram story
“Really sad and disturbing news from Ahmedabad. Prayers for all the lives lost and their families.” Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma wrote
The plane departed from runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST, and following Air Traffic Control (ATC), it sent out a Mayday distress call just moments after takeoff. Thereafter, repeated attempts to communicate remained unsuccessful. The plane crashed in a matter of minutes, resulting in an enormous fire and billowing clouds of smoke that were captured in videos being broadcasted on news and social media sites.
Among the 169 Indian passengers on board were 53 from the United Kingdom, seven Portuguese, one from Canada, and 12 crew members. The plane was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran commander with more than 8,200 flying hours, and assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 flying hours.
Emergency services had hurried to the site of the crash, surrounding only one individual who is thought to have survived. The victims’ identities are being verified and rescue operations are still in progress.
