Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE stands in solidarity with India following the crashing of an Air India flight on Thursday, President Mnangagwa has said.
The plane crash killed all but one of the 242 passengers on board.
In a condolence message, the President said Zimbabwe’s thoughts and prayers were with India and the bereaved families during this difficult time.
Zimbabwe and India traditionally enjoy cordial relations.
“I extend my deepest sympathies to the Government and people of the Republic of India following the tragic plane crash of Flight 171.
“Zimbabwe stands in solidarity with the Indian nation during this time of mourning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families, and we wish a swift and full recovery to the injured,” wrote President Mnangagwa on his official X handle.
The Boeing aircraft bound for Gatwick Airport in London was carrying 242 passengers and crew when it came down in a residential area, crashing into a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour.
Passengers aboard the plane comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.
The survivor is a British national of Indian origin.
Air India confirmed the fatalities in a statement. “Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London, Gatwick, on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew.
“The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,” the airline wrote on its official X handle.
Air India said it had since dispatched a team of caregivers to render additional support, while also conveying its condolences.
“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones.
“A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support.
“Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident,” said the airline.
Footage from the area showed smoke billowing from the crash site, with parts of the plane scattered around the building into which it crashed.
The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad’s airport, the plane gave a mayday call, signalling an emergency, but after that, there was no response, according to reports.
Aviation-tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a wide-body, twin-engine Boeing Dreamliner plane that is one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.
According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this was the first recorded crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, which has a good safety record.
The last fatal plane crash in India before Thursday’s, was in 2020 and involved an aircraft from Air India Express, the carrier’s low-cost arm.
Twenty-one people were killed when the aircraft overshot a runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India.
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