Category: World news

(KYIV, Ukraine) —  Massive overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv killed 15 people, Ukrainian officials said, as Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles at targets across the country.

The strikes wounded at least 177 others in the Ukrainian capital, according to officials. A United States citizen was among the 15 killed, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Nearly 150 residential buildings were damaged in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said, with search and rescue efforts ongoing.

“Rescuers and police officers continue to work at the sites where residential infrastructure was hit,” Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. “The rescue operation is ongoing at two locations in Kyiv. There are still people trapped under the rubble, so the work will not stop until everyone is found.”

At a residential building in the Solomianskyi district, “an entire entrance collapsed,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an update on Telegram.

The mayor posted a video to Telegram showing what he said were Russian cluster munitions found at one of the impact sites in the capital. Klitschko later declared Wednesday a day of mourning for the victims of the attack.

Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that the attack consisted of 440 drones and 32 missiles — of which 402 drones and 26 missiles were shot down or otherwise neutralized. The air force reported impacts in 10 locations and downed debris in 34 locations. The attack is believed to have been one of the largest on the capital in several months.

Kyiv bore the brunt of the strikes, Zelenskyy said, with impacts also reported in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv.

At least two people were killed and 18 injured in Odesa, according to officials. The deceased were recovered from under rubble, Klymenko said.

“Such attacks are pure terrorism,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “And the whole world, the U.S. and Europe must finally react the way a civilized society reacts to terrorists.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, “is doing this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to continue. It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this. We are contacting all partners at all possible levels to ensure an appropriate response. It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people.”

The attacks came as G7 leaders gathered in Canada, where Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine is one of several key topics of discussion. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that Russia — previously a member of the group when it was known as the G8 — should not have been expelled from the bloc in 2014 after its invasion and annexation of Crimea.

Putin “sends a signal of total disrespect to the United States and other partners who have called for an end to the killing,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. “Putin’s goal is very simple: make the G7 leaders appear weak. Only strong steps and real pressure on Moscow can prove him wrong.”

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — Almost 60 people are dead after two incidents near locations where people were trying to get food aid in Gaza Tuesday, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said.

Fifty-one people were killed in an incident near a food aid truck that got stuck near Khan Younis, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the shooting.

“A gathering was identified adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck in the area of Khan Younis, and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area,” the IDF said in response to an inquiry from ABC News.

“The IDF is aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd’s approach. The details of the incident are under review,” the IDF added.

The shooting comes as many in Gaza are in the grip of hunger, according to international aid agencies. The United Nations last week said a “very limited” amount of food was being brought into the Strip.

And it comes a day after COGAT, the Israeli organization tasked with bringing aid into Gaza, said that four aid distribution centers in Gaza were being operated simultaneously for the first time.

Humanitarian aid sites and routes in Gaza have become flashpoints in recent weeks, according to the Hamas-run ministry.

Some of the injured and dead in Tuesday’s incident were brought to Nasser Hospital Complex in Khan Younis after the incident. In a video published by Reuters, a man can be seen bleeding from a wound in his back while being wheeled into the entrance.

“We went to wait like other people to get food for our children,” the man told Reuters “They told us there is flour in a certain area, so we went and waited. Then we found rockets falling on us.”

In a separate incident, eight people were killed near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday. ABC News has asked IDF for comment on this incident.

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(KYIV, Ukraine) —  A massive overnight Russian strike on Kyiv killed 14 people and wounded more than 100 others, local officials in the Ukrainian capital said early Tuesday, as Moscow launched hundreds of drones and missiles at targets across the country.

It was not immediately clear whether others may be trapped beneath the rubble, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in an update on the Telegram messaging app. Emergency personnel were working at several sites, including a residential building in the Solomianskyi district, where “an entire entrance collapsed,” Klitschko said.

The mayor posted a video to Telegram showing what he said were Russian cluster munitions found at one of the impact sites in the capital. Klitschko later declared Wednesday a day of mourning for the victims of the attack.

Ukraine’s air force said in a post to Telegram that the attack consisted of 440 drones and 32 missiles — of which 402 drones and 26 missiles were shot down or otherwise neutralized. The air force reported impacts in 10 locations and downed debris in 34 locations. The attack is believed to have been one of the largest on the capital in several months.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the nationwide attack killed at least 15 people were killed. Kyiv bore the brunt of the strikes, Zelenskyy wrote, with impacts also reported in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv.

At least one person was killed in Odesa and 17 others injured, according to a Telegram post by local Governor Oleg Kiper.

“Such attacks are pure terrorism,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “And the whole world, the U.S. and Europe must finally react the way a civilized society reacts to terrorists.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, “is doing this solely because he can afford to continue the war. He wants the war to continue. It is bad when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye to this. We are contacting all partners at all possible levels so that there is an appropriate response. It is the terrorists who should feel the pain, not normal, peaceful people.”

The attacks came as G7 leaders gathered in Canada, where Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine is one of several key topics of discussion. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that Russia — previously a member of the group when it was known as the G8 — should not have been expelled form the bloc in 2014 after its invasion and annexation of Crimea.

Putin “sends a signal of total disrespect to the United States and other partners who have called for an end to the killing,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. “Putin’s goal is very simple: make the G7 leaders appear weak. Only strong steps and real pressure on Moscow can prove him wrong.”

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

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(LONDON) — More than 30 people in Gaza were killed on Monday by alleged Israeli gunfire while trying to reach food aid distribution centers, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

One person was killed near the Netzarim corridor at a distribution site in central Gaza and 33 people were killed near an aid distribution center in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the ministry.

An additional four people were killed at the site near the Netzarim corridor on Sunday but were not found until Monday, the MOH told ABC News.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment on the incident.

The Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore, the executive chairman of GHF, did not address the alleged incidents in a post on X on Monday afternoon, where he said aid distribution at four sites “proceeded without incident.” He said three American contract staff sustained “minor injuries” during Iranian attacks on Israel on Sunday, but received medical attention and were diagnosed with concussions.

So far on Monday, 68 people have been killed in Gaza and at least 180 people have been injured, according to the ministry.

The aid sites, run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), have been steeped in controversy since they opened about three weeks ago.

The new distribution system was imposed by Israel after the government partly lifted a two-and-a-half-month blockade on all humanitarian aid, which caused widespread malnutrition and famine-like conditions, according to food security experts.

International aid organizations refused to participate in the new system, with deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq saying the plan is not impartial, neutral or independent.

There have been multiple reports of Israeli forces shooting at civilians trying to reach the aid sites to get food, according to the MOH, eyewitness accounts and international aid organizations working in Gaza.

The IDF has previously released statements about the reports, saying that video footage allegedly showing the shootings is “under review.” The IDF also said it has fired “warning shots” towards people who were allegedly “advancing while posing a threat to the troops.”

The GHF previously denied reports of chaos at the distribution sites but has closed them at times due to “maintenance” and “repair work.”

Gazans have said neither the amount of aid distributed, nor the calories within the aid packages from GHF, is enough to meet the needs of the civilian population.

Dr. Abdulwhhab Abu Alamrain, a physician at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said having distribution sites — as opposed to meeting people where they are — does not allow for equitable aid access.

“Vulnerable families with elderly, widows with kids and sole survivor kids can never get aid [because] they would never be able to walk miles or [carry] the package or fight to get a turn in [an] unorganized aid distribution center,” he told ABC News.

Previously, aid was distributed by organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which ran hundreds of sites across the strip.

However, Israel has accused of the U.N. of being “anti-Israel and anti-Semitic” and UNRWA as being “infiltrated” by terrorism. Israel has also accused Hamas militants of stealing aid meant for civilians. Hamas denies the accusations and claims that Israel is weaponizing aid through GHF.

Dr. Ayesha Khan, a U.S. emergency medicine physician and humanitarian aid worker who did a month-long medical mission at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in late 2024, said it is frustrating to see the new distribution plan because the U.N.’s method for distributing aid in Gaza has been successful for decades.

“We have a way to distribute aid,” Khan told ABC News. “In my opinion, this GHF, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, was created in order to weaponize humanitarian aid.”

Khan said she spoke to a friend in Gaza who said he didn’t consider the GHF plan to be “humanitarian aid” but rather “humiliation aid.”

“You’ve eliminated everybody being able to get aid because getting aid is contingent upon you coming to the distribution point,” she said. “And sure enough, as soon as the people were told that there was food, after 11, 12, weeks of starvation, they swarmed the area, desperate to get food, of which there was not enough, and the soldiers opened fire.”

“The U.N. has global rules around humanitarian principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, independence. Those are those rules are not being followed by GHF,” Khan added.

The most recent deaths at distribution sites come as U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk described Israel’s warfare in Gaza as inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on civilians.

“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Turk said during a meeting of the Humans Rights Council on Monday. “Israel has weaponized food and blocked lifesaving aid. I urge immediate, impartial investigations into deadly attacks on desperate civilians trying to reach food distribution centers. Disturbing, dehumanizing rhetoric from senior Israeli government officials is reminiscent of the gravest of crimes.”

Turk also said Israel’s refusal to allow international journalists to report from Gaza has helped Hamas “avoid transparency and accountability.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack in Israel, more than 55,400 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 128,900 have been injured, according to the MOH.

During Hamas’s surprise attack, the militant group murdered nearly 1,200 Israelis and took captive 251 others, according to Israeli officials. Hamas is still holding 53 hostages, living and dead. Among them are the bodies of two Americans.

ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

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Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel “Michael” Leiter, claimed that Israel had set Iran’s nuclear program back significantly after a series of strikes on the country, but that the full operation could take “weeks.”

“We’ve set them back dramatically, but not enough,” Leiter told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “And that’s why this series of strikes is not going to end today or tomorrow, but only at a period of time, which may take weeks, when we are absolutely certain that the nuclear infrastructure with the intention of weaponizing and threatening Israel is terminated.”

The two countries have been engaged in a deadly back-and-forth since Israel launched what it called preemptive strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, scientists and military leadership.

Asked by Raddatz if Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was off of Israel’s target list, Leiter declined to rule that out.

“I think it’s fair to say that nobody who’s threatening the destruction of Israel should be off the target list,” Lieter said. “The idea is to neutralize and terminate the Iranian intention of destroying Israel through nuclear weapons and through ballistic missiles. And anybody who gets in the way of that, or — or is actually advancing, that cause of destroying Israel is obviously somebody we’re going to have to deal with.”

Leiter said that Israel sustained “significant attacks” on Saturday night, which killed more than 10 people and wounded hundreds after Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles that struck targets across the country.

“We have some good defense systems, anti-missile defense systems, but they’re not hermetically sealing the skies. So there’s about 10 to 15 percent of these ballistic missiles that get through.”

Here are more highlights from Leiter and former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel’s interviews on “This Week”:

Leiter on destroying Iran’s Fordow nuclear site

Raddatz: Let’s talk about Fordow. It’s deep in a mountainside. There are those who do not believe you can destroy Fordow without U.S. help and those bunker-busting bombs. Is it possible without U.S. help?

Leiter: The help that we’ve asked from the United States is confined to defensive posture. We’re very, very thankful to President Trump and the administration for the THAAD missile, anti-missile defense system, for the Aegis missile defense system, but it’s only in a defensive posture. We have a number of contingencies, will — which will enable us to deal with Fordow. Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.

Raddatz: But you’re certain you can wipe out Fordow?

Leiter: We’re certain — we’re — we’re certain that we can set back the nuclear weapons system development within Iran for a very, very long time.

Votel on potential U.S. involvement

Raddatz: But you say delay, so you’re confident they couldn’t destroy [Fordow] without the help of the U.S.?

Votel: Well, I don’t know the full range of all capabilities that the — that the Israelis have, their very sophisticated, savvy military. There are lots of tools that are available to them. I think the conventional wisdom is that the bunker busters, the penetrating munitions that are needed to go after something like this are largely still within the inventory of the United States. So, yeah, I think — I think — I think probably would have some difficulty at doing that and, again, the Iranians are demonstrating some level of resolve here. And we can’t dismiss the fact that they will continue to pursue this program or even try to make a dash to take what they have now and try to — try to create some kind of weapon.

Votel on the possibility of escalation

Raddatz: And how likely do you think it is that this war spreads, that this becomes a regional war involving the U.S.?

Votel: Yeah. I think this largely depends on the directions that the leaders of both of these countries go. It’s not particularly in Iran’s interest to try to spread this, that they don’t need to earn the anger of others in the region. They ultimately have to — have to live there. So, it doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense for them to widen that. But again, as this progresses as the Iranians run out of options, and they don’t have a lot of great options right now, frankly. They’re fighting a little bit blind in terms of what they’re doing. They don’t have great options. And as they run out of the things that are available to them right now and they begin to reach out and look for other ways to have an impact, that’s when I think the concern for regionalization of the conflict becomes greatest.

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(LONDON) — An investigation is underway as to what caused an Air India airliner carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members to crash shortly after takeoff on Thursday. Both black boxes of the aircraft have been found on Friday, an Indian official confirmed to ABC News.

The boxes — with one being damaged but recoverable — will be investigated in India and U.S. investigators are expected to arrive on Sunday, Shri G.V.G. Yugandhar, director general of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said.

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was en route to the United Kingdom and crashed into a building in India’s Meghaninager area near Ahmedabad airport, leaving 246 dead and at least one surviving passenger, local officials and the airline said. Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had not previously been involved in an incident where passenger fatalities were reported.

“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft,” the airline said in a statement on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”

The victims include 241 passengers and crew members, as well as five medical students who were inside the medical college and hospital the aircraft crashed into, according to hospital officials. Many others inside the building were injured — some seriously — and are receiving treatment, hospital officials said.

On Friday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson confirmed the loss of 241 of the 242 people on board the aircraft, saying those at the airline are “devastated by this loss, and grieve for those affected, their families and loved ones.” He said a technical team is now helping at the crash site and nearly 100 caregivers are providing support to families.

“This morning, I visited the site and was deeply moved by the scenes. I also met key stakeholders in the government and assured them that Air India is committed to full cooperation with those working on the ground, and to the investigations,” Wilson said in a video posted on social media.

The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that Vishwaskumar Ramesh, one of the passengers on the downed Air India flight, is alive and hospitalized there.

“Everything happened in front of my eyes. I thought I would die,” Ramesh told NDTV in an exclusive interview on Friday. “The side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building. There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out.”

Officials earlier said no survivors had been expected in the crash. The process of retrieving the bodies of victims is almost complete and DNA profiling of the family members of victims will be done very soon, according to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.

There were around 125,000 liters of fuel inside the aircraft, with temperatures so high that there was no opportunity to rescue the passengers, Shah said.

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport. Video from the site appeared to show the jet disappear below the tree line, which was followed seconds later by a ball of fire and a thick plume of gray smoke.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on social media on Thursday. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

Air India announced it will organize two relief flights, one each from Delhi and Mumbia, to Ahmedabad for the next of kin passengers and Air India staff.

Tata Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate of companies that owns Air India, said they will provide families of each person who has lost their life in the crash with ₹1 crore (about $116,000) and will also cover the medical expenses of those injured.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Dada Jovanovic, Clara McMichael, Ellie Kaufman, Sam Sweeney and Camilla Alcini contributed to this report.

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LONDON — Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the Air India plane crash headed to the United Kingdom from Ahmedabad, India, that left all 241 other passengers and crew dead, along with five more on the ground, said he “thought I would die” as he recovers in the hospital a day after the tragedy.

“Everything happened in front of my eyes. I thought I would die,” Ramesh told NDTV in an exclusive interview on Friday. “The side where I was seated fell into the ground floor of the building. There was some space. When the door broke, I saw that space and I just jumped out.”

“The door must’ve broken on impact,” Ramesh continued. “There was a wall on the opposite side, but near me, it was open. I ran. I don’t know how. I don’t know how I came out of it alive. For a while, I thought I was about to die. But when I opened my eyes, I saw I was alive, and I opened my seat belt and got out of there. The airhostess … died before my eyes.”

The Air India airliner carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members was en route to the United Kingdom and crashed into a building shortly after takeoff on Thursday, leaving 246 dead, officials said.

The victims include 241 passengers and crew members as well as five medical students who were inside the medical college and hospital the aircraft crashed into, according to hospital officials. Many others inside the building were injured — some seriously — and are receiving treatment, hospital officials said.

Ramesh’s brother, Nayankumar Ramesh, said it is a “miracle” his brother survived.

“He said, ‘Our plane’s crashed, I don’t know where my brother is. I don’t see any other passengers. I don’t know how I’m alive, how I exited the plane,” Nayankumar Ramesh told ABC News about his brother’s escape from the plane. “Just hearing about the crash, I’m scared to fly now, to even stay on a plane now.”

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, the city’s Police Commissioner G.S. Malik said Thursday.

Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had not previously been involved in an incident where passenger fatalities were reported. This plane had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, which is considered average for this aircraft, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau,” Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement that he’d been in touch with local officials after the crash.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement on social media. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

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(LONDON) — Israel is considering taking military action against Iran in the coming days, according to three sources familiar with the situation.

The sources were not aware of a specific U.S. role in an Israeli strike on Iran, though it is possible the U.S. could play a logistical role and share intelligence with Israel that could be used for such a strike.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

 

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(LONDON and DELHI) — An Air India airliner carrying 242 passengers and crew en route to the United Kingdom from India crashed shortly after takeoff, apparently killing all onboard the Boeing Dreamliner, local officials and the airline said.

“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft,” the airline said in a statement posted on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told ABC News that it “appears that there are no survivors on the plane.”

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, Malik said Thursday. Boeing’s Dreamliner planes had not previously been involved in an incident where passenger fatalities were reported. This plane had more than 41,000 hours of flying time, which is considered average for this aircraft, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.

“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport. Video from the site appeared to show the jet disappear below the tree line, which was followed seconds later by a ball of fire and a thick plume of gray smoke.

“Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the Directorate General said in the statement.

India’s Central Industrial Security Force released photos from the site of the crash, which appeared to include civilians and emergency personnel working to put out flaming wreckage. One photo appeared to show the damaged tail of the airplane resting partially inside a hole in a building.

The Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he had “directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action” to respond to the crash.

“Rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” the minister added.

GE Aerospace, the aircraft engine manufacturer, said in a statement they have also activated their emergency response team and are “prepared to support our customer and the investigation.”

The local governor, Bhupendra Patel, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash to coordinate their emergency response, officials said. Patel said he ordered a so-called “green corridor” for emergency vehicles to travel between the crash site and local hospitals.

Modi in a statement confirmed that he’d been in touch with local officials.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement on social media. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

The airline initially announced the crash in a statement on social media, saying the flight had been “involved in an incident,” adding that it was “ascertaining the details” of the incident. The airline updated its social media profiles to display all-black profile pictures.

The flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad airport, which is officially Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, to London’s Gatwick Airport, according to FlightRadar24, a tracking site.

It had been scheduled to depart at 9:50 a.m. local time, with a planned arrival time in London at 18:25 p.m. local time. Gatwick in a statement confirmed the scheduled arrival time.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation in Ahmedabad, adding that his “thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”

“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” Starmer said in a statement.

The captain had 8,200 hours of experience and the copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience, India’s Directorate General added.

The National Transportation Safety Board will be leading a team of U.S. investigators traveling to India to assist in the investigation of the crash.

All information regarding the investigation will be provided by the Indian government.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Ellie Kaufman, Clara McMichael, Sam Sweeney and Camilla Alcini contributed to this report.

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(LONDON and DELHI) — An Air India airliner carrying 242 passengers and crew en route to the United Kingdom from India crashed shortly after takeoff in an area near the Ahmedabad airport, in India’s Gujarat state, local officials and the airline said.

“The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 13:38 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, the airline said in a statement posted on social media. “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”

The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed in the Meghaninagar area near the airport, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner said Thursday.

“We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.

The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the plane “fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter” immediately after it departed from the airport.

“Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” the Directorate General said in the statement.

The Indian Civil Aviation Minister said he has “directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” to respond to the crash.

“Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” the minister added.

The local governor, Bhupendra Patel, spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash to coordinate their emergency response, officials said. Patel said he ordered a so-called “green corridor” for emergency vehicles to travel between the crash site and local hospitals.

Modi in a statement confirmed that he’d been in touch with local officials.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” he said in a statement on social media. “It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.”

“It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it,” he said in a statement on social media. “Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”

The airline initially announced the crash in a statement on social media, saying the flight had been “involved in an incident,” adding that it was “ascertaining the details” of the incident.

The flight was scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, according to FlightRadar24, a tracking site. It had been scheduled to depart at 9:50 a.m. local time, with a scheduled arrival time in London at 18:25 p.m. local time. Gatwick in a statement confirmed the planned arrival time.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was being updated on the situation in Ahmedabad, adding that his “thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”

“The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” Starmer said in a statement.

The captain had 8,200 hours of experience and the copilot had 1,100 hours of flying experience, India’s Directorate General added.

ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Ellie Kaufman, Clara McMichael and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.

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