By Kolawole Ojebisi
The nation of India has been thrown into panic following the crash of one of its airlines in the early hours of Thursday.
The airline, an Air India Limited Boeing Co. 787 aircraft, was travelling from Ahmedabad en route to London’s Gatwick Airport, when the disaster happened.
According to Reuters, which quoted local media, the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff.
The news agency, citing police sources, stated that the flight was carrying approximately 242 passengers and crew.
Further analysis of the incident indicated that the aircraft had reached an altitude of 625 feet at a speed of 174 kilometres per hour, according to data from Flightradar24.
While details about the crash were sketchy as of press time, social media videos showed black smoke billowing at the spot of the crash accentuating the gravity of the disaster.
Air India’s fleet comprises 128 aircraft from Airbus SE and Boeing, according to the carrier’s website.
