Pakistan’s PM offers condolences to India over plane crash in Ahmedabad

In a gesture of sympathy amid a tragic incident, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended his heartfelt condolences to the people of India following the devastating crash of an Air India passenger aircraft in Ahmedabad.

The announcement was made public through a post on the social media platform X, Caliber.Az reports.

Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today.

We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 12, 2025

“Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today.

We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy,” Sharif posted.

An Air India passenger aircraft en route to London, tragically crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, a major city in northwestern India. Officials have confirmed that there is a single survivor.

Thick black smoke billowed from the crash site where the plane collided with a medical college hostel near Ahmedabad’s airport, igniting a fierce blaze. Ahmedabad, a bustling metropolis of over five million residents and the capital of Gujarat—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state—was shaken by the catastrophic incident.

Firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the smoldering wreckage of the fully fueled aircraft and nearby multi-story structures. Charred remains were strewn across the scene alongside scattered fuselage fragments. Indian army personnel have been deployed to assist civil authorities in clearing debris and providing medical aid to the injured.

Air India said the flight bound for London Gatwick Airport was carrying 242 passengers and crew, with 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian aboard. The Boeing 787-8 crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. (08:08 GMT), Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, said.

By Vafa Guliyeva