Snow, ice, and rain warnings continue amid flood risks
Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in effect across Scotland, Wales, northern England, and the Midlands, valid until midday Monday. (Photo: Getty Images)
WARNINGS for snow, ice, and rain remain active across the UK, with southern England facing flood risks due to rain and melting snow from milder temperatures.
Over 100 flood warnings have been issued in southern England, where flooding is “expected,” and more than 260 flood alerts are in place across England and Wales, indicating flooding is “possible,” BBC reported.
The Environment Agency is monitoring rising river levels, with some rivers nearing capacity. Snow and freezing rain over the weekend caused transport disruptions, including airport closures and delays.
While Manchester and Liverpool airports reopened on Sunday morning, delays persisted throughout the day.
The Met Office has issued warnings for various regions. An amber snow warning remains in place for northern England, now covering a smaller area and lasting until 6 am on Monday.
Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in effect across Scotland, Wales, northern England, and the Midlands, valid until midday Monday.
Yellow rain warnings cover south Wales and southern England until Monday morning, while a yellow ice warning remains in place for Northern Ireland until 11 am. Amber warnings indicate a higher risk to life and severe disruption, while yellow warnings signify potential hazards.
Temperatures are expected to drop below average from Monday, with widespread frost and icy conditions likely.
Snowfall may cut off some rural areas in northern England and cause travel delays and power cuts.
Up to 15cm of snow is expected in affected areas, with heavier snow up to 40cm in higher regions like north Wales and the Peak District, BBC reported.
Overnight temperatures fell as low as -11 degrees Celsius in Loch Glascarnoch, Scotland, with significant snowfall reported across northern England and Wales. Bingley, West Yorkshire, recorded 16cm of snow, while heavy snow continued in Cumbria and southern Scotland.
National Highways reported deploying 500 gritting lorries and stockpiling over 240,000 tonnes of salt to manage icy roads.
Despite travel concerns, the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United went ahead as planned.
The UK Health Security Agency’s amber cold weather health alerts remain active for all of England.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel inspect the site after Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad, on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
RESCUE teams with sniffer dogs searched the crash site on Friday after an Air India flight heading to London crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed on Thursday. One person survived the crash, which left the tail of the aircraft lodged in the second floor of a hostel housing medical staff from a nearby hospital.
The nose and front wheel of the plane landed on a canteen building where students were having lunch, according to witnesses.
Deputy commissioner of police Kanan Desai said 265 bodies had been counted so far, indicating that at least 24 people on the ground had died. The toll may rise as more body parts are recovered.
"The official number of deceased will be declared only after DNA testing is completed", Home Minister Amit Shah said in a statement on Thursday evening. He added, "families whose relatives are abroad have already been informed, and their DNA samples will be taken".
Prime minister Narendra Modi visited the affected neighbourhood on Friday. He had earlier described the crash of Air India flight 171 as "heartbreaking beyond words".
Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy. pic.twitter.com/R7PPGGo6Lj — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
According to the airline, the passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. There were also 12 crew members on board. The flight was bound for London’s Gatwick airport.
The only survivor was a British national of Indian origin, identified by local media as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Air India said he is receiving treatment in hospital.
"He said, 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'", said his brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, in Leicester, as reported by Britain’s Press Association.
Relatives of passengers gathered in Ahmedabad on Friday to provide DNA samples for identification.
Ashfaque Nanabawa, 40, came looking for his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who was on board with his wife and three-year-old daughter. He said they had spoken just before takeoff.
"He called us and he said: 'I am in the plane and I have boarded safely and everything was okay'. That was his last call."
One woman, who did not give her name, said her son-in-law had died in the crash.
"My daughter doesn't know that he's no more", she said. "I can't break the news to her, can someone else do that please?"
Air India’s dedicated passenger hotline numbers for India 1800 5691 444; for calls outside India +91 8062779200.
Air India requests media persons not to contact the dedicated passenger hotline number. — Air India (@airindia) June 13, 2025
Crash occurred moments after takeoff
The plane crashed less than a minute after takeoff on Thursday, shortly after reaching an altitude of about 100 metres.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the aircraft issued a mayday call and "crashed immediately after takeoff".
Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state with a population of about eight million, has a busy airport located near densely populated residential areas.
"One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who did not give his full name.
Investigations begin
Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and was "ready to support them". A source familiar with the case told AFP this was the first crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
The UK and US air accident investigation agencies have sent teams to assist Indian investigators.
A statement from Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg on Air India Flight 171.
Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced financial support of 10 million rupees ($117,000) for the families of each person who died. It also said it would cover the medical expenses of those injured.
India has experienced multiple deadly air crashes in the past. In 1996, two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing nearly 350 people. In 2010, an Air India Express plane crashed and caught fire at Mangalore airport, killing 158 out of 166 people on board.
Cause of crash still unknown
Experts said it is too early to determine the cause of Thursday’s crash.
"It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel," said Jason Knight, senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth. "The aircraft is designed to be able to fly on one engine, so the most likely cause of the crash is a double engine failure. The most likely cause of a double engine failure is a bird strike."
India’s growing aviation sector
India’s aviation sector has seen rapid growth in recent years. Last month, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called the growth "nothing short of phenomenal".
India, with a population of 1.4 billion, is now the world’s fourth-largest air travel market. IATA has projected that it will become the third-largest within the next decade.
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
David Lammy meets prime minister Narendra Modi in Delhi last Saturday (7)
FOREIGN secretary David Lammy has said prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s upcoming visit to India paves the road for “a very, very exciting new era” as both leaders are expected to formally sign the free trade agreement (FTA).
Lammy visited India last Saturday (7), when he met prime minister Narendra Modi and foreign secretary S Jaishankar in Delhi. The foreign secretary previously travelled to Pakistan in May, following the attack in Indian Kashmir in April.
In remarks to a question by Eastern Eye, Lammy would not be drawn on when Starmer would make the trip to Delhi, but the foreign secretary said it will “be soon”.
“I’m very excited that my trip comes anticipating the meeting between prime ministers Starmer and Modi and the official signing of that FTA that marks a new era,” Lammy said.
He added, “This was something that our predecessors said they would deliver by Diwali. Successive Diwalis have passed, and it wasn’t delivered, but we rolled up our sleeves. We got on with it. We made it happen.
“This is a very exciting time. There’ll be lots that comes out of that trip that prime minister Starmer makes to India, and as I say, it paves the road for a very, very exciting new era.”
This is the third visit to India by the foreign secretary in the past 15 month. The first was just before Labour won the general election last July, when he and Jonathan Reynolds (then shadow business secretary) went to Delhi.
There have been a series of high-level ministerial visits between Delhi and London, with the most recent ones made by Jaishankar and India’s minister for commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, days before the FTA was finalised by India and the UK.
Lammy said from New Delhi last Saturday, “This has been a wonderful visit. It’s against a backdrop of a very exciting new era for our two countries that builds on the FTA that we have signed.”
He pointed out that his meetings with Modi overran this time and previously as well.
Lammy said, “Our enduring links are rooted in celebrating the unique living bridge that exists between our people, including a 1.9 million strong Indian diaspora in the UK that gives our country so very, very much.
David Lammy is welcomed by S Jaishankar in Delhi last Saturday (7)
“It’s a living bridge that connects us across culture, education, food, sport, business, industry.
“What we talked about was cultural cooperation, we talked about prime minister Starmer’s upcoming trip to India, how we can forge and deepen education links.
“This was a conversation of two very close allies ambitious for our future.”
Lammy was in Islamabad last month, soon after the de-escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan after terrorists shot dead Indian tourists in Pahalgam, an attack Delhi blamed on Pakistan, but which the latter denied.
He said last Saturday that “it was always the intention that I would go to Pakistan”.
The United Kingdom has strong links with both countries and in both countries, the foreign secretary said, adding, “I’ve discussed a range of issues. The UK is a friend and partner to both India and Pakistan. This is not about picking sides, and I want to be clear that we welcome the cessation of fighting.
“We welcome the dialogue that I have been able to have in both countries. We want to see de-escalation, and we are in a de-escalatory period, at this time.
“And here in India, we were discussing with our Indian partners the threats of terrorism and how we can do more to counter terrorism, (by) working together.”
Lammy said, “It is important for the United Kingdom, as a friend of both countries, to be able to play our role in encouraging de-escalation.
I have been able to discuss here in India, key issues around counter terrorism and threats that exist to India and regional security, and I was able to discuss, when I was in Pakistan, issues around terrorism in Pakistan, and indeed, Pakistan is a country where there is a considerable loss of life to the terrorist menace.”
In New Delhi, Jaishankar said last Saturday the trade deal with Britain was “truly a milestone” that will boost bilateral ties as he welcomed Lammy to the capital.
“The recent conclusion of the IndiaUK FTA... is truly a milestone which will not only propel our two-way trade and investment but will also have a positive effect on other strategic aspects of our bilateral ties,” Jaishankar said after meeting Lammy.
“It would also contribute to the strengthening of supply and value chains,” the Indian minister added.
The FTA will slash tariffs on imports of UK goods into India, including whisky, cosmetics and medical devices.
In exchange, Britain will cut tariffs on imports of clothes, footwear and food products, including frozen prawns, from India. Britain and India are the sixth- and fifth-largest global economies respectively, with a trade relationship worth around £41 billion and investment supporting more than 600,000 jobs in both countries.
They hope the free-trade agreement will increase trade between them by about 25.5 billion pounds, as well as boost the British economy and wages.
Labour MP Kanishka Narayan told Eastern Eye the FTA means “in the long run, more than £2 billion in extra wages for British workers”.
He added, “It means our access to a huge and one of the fastest growing markets in the world, including for British farmers and British beverage makers. And more than anything else, I think it means a deeper relationship with the country that we share fundamental values with.”
The new MP also visited India last year, following Labour’s landslide win last July.
Narayan said on Monday (9), “We’re in a more insecure world, generally, and in that context, it is incumbent on us to make sure we are building the deepest relationships with countries we have a long history and hopefully a very exciting future. The fact that we’ve been able to do this with India, that we have followed up with the United States and with Europe, means that Britain is going to be most resilient in what I think is a more and more insecure and uncertain world, both on trade and on security as well.”
Narayan also expressed his optimism for an imminent visit to India by Starmer.
He said, “I know the prime minister and the foreign secretary both will be deeply committed, personally, to making sure we’re able to make our commitment to the FTA very clear in person.
“When it happens, there’s a question for the prime minister’s team, but from my point of view, my hope is as soon as possible, we’ve announced a deal in less than a year, and I hope that we’ll, we’ll get it signed and ticked off very, very soon.”
Keep ReadingShow less
Rescue and relief work underway following the Air India plane crash, in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)
ONE survivor walked away from the Air India aircraft that crashed at Ahmedabad airport earlier this morning (12), according to the latest reports from India.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, a UK national, was in seat 11A of the Air India Flight 171 bound for London Gatwick when it crashed shortly after take off from Ahmedabad with 242 people on board.
Initial reports suggested there were no survivors following the accident.
However, Kumar Ramesh was quoted as saying that seconds after take-off, “there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed”.
He told local media in India, “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.
“There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Two other British passengers believed to have been travelling on the aircraft were named as Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio in south London.
They spoke of their “magical experience” in India, adding they experienced “mind-blowing things”.
British Indian businessman Surinder Arora told Sky News a distant family member was on board the aircraft.
The UK government said it was sending a team to support the investigation into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survivor of the Air India plane crash, in Ahmedabad. (PTI photo)
In a statement, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it “has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India.
“We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian led investigation.”
Britain has set up crisis teams in Delhi and London to support the families of those on board the Air India Flight 171, foreign secretary David Lammy informed parliament.
“My thoughts and I’m sure those of the entire House are with those who have been affected by the tragic plane crash in India this morning,” Lammy told MPs.
“We know that British nationals were on board and I can confirm that the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) is working urgently with local authorities to support British nationals and their families, and has stood up a crisis team in both Delhi and in London,” he said.
The Tata Group said will provide Rs 10 million (£95,000) to the family of each person who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
In the message posted by Tata Group on X, the company said it will cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support.
"Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the BJ Medical's hostel,” Tata Group and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran said.
"We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time," he said.
A US government agency that investigates civil aviation accidents said it would lead a team of American investigators to India to assist in the investigation of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a post on X that it will be “leading a team of US investigators travelling to India to assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday.”
— (@)
It added that as per international protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organisation, all information on the investigation will be provided by the Government of India.
Keep ReadingShow less
Police said they had collected 204 dead bodies (PTI photo)
All 242 passengers on board believed to have been killed in the Air India crash AI-171 in Ahmedabad
Air India passenger hotline numbers - 1800 5691 444 and for foreign nationals +91 8062779200
There were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight bound for London Gatwick
Contact @HCI_London on the emergency number 07768765035 with regard to emergency visa assistance to travel to India if needed
POLICE in Ahmedabad said they had collected 204 dead bodies after the London-bound Air India aircraft with 242 people on board crashed into residential buildings after takeoff on Thursday (12).
“We have found 204 bodies,” city police commissioner GS Malik said, adding that 41 injured people were “under treatment”.
The dead included those from the plane crash and from buildings into which the plane smashed.
“Rescue work is ongoing,” he said.
The crash was the first ever for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a source familiar with the matter said. Boeing, the American planemaker, said it was ready to support Air India following the crash.
"We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them," said a Boeing statement. "Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected."
Several videos posted on social media showed the aircraft rapidly losing altitude - with its nose up - before it hit a building and exploded into an orange ball of fire.
Damage at a building after an Air India plane crashed moments after taking off from the airport, in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)
Authorities said it went down outside the airport perimeter, in a crowded residential area while a reporter in the city said the plane crashed between a hospital and the city's Ghoda Camp neighbourhood.
A medic described how the burning plane had smashed into a residential block that is home to medical students and young doctors.
"One half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families," said Krishna, a doctor who gave only one name.
He saw "about 15-20 burnt bodies" in the wreckage and debris.
It was not clear whether the dead he had seen had been killed on board the plane, or had been in the building the aircraft ploughed into.
"The nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch," he said, adding he and colleagues had "rescued some 15 students from the building and sent them to hospital".
"When we reached the spot there were several bodies lying around and firefighters were dousing the flames," resident Poonam Patni said.
"Many of the bodies were burned", she added.
Another resident, who declined to be named, said: "We saw people from the building jumping from the second and third floor to save themselves. The plane was in flames.
"We helped people get out of the building and sent the injured to the hospital."
Outside Ahmedabad airport, a woman wailing inconsolably in grief said that five of her relatives had been aboard the plane. In a post on social media, former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, who was recently in Ahmedabad to watch the final of the Indian Premier League, said, “Akshata and I are deeply shocked and distressed by the news of the Air India tragedy.
“There is a unique bond between our two nations and our thoughts and prayers go out to the British and Indian families who have lost loved ones today.”
Keep ReadingShow less
People gather near the site where an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave
In this combo of images, a London-bound Air India plane crashes moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (PTI Photo)
AN Air India plane headed to London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday (12), the airline and police said, without specifying whether there were any fatalities.
The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport.
Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service.
"At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X.
The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.
Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 1.39pm (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a "Mayday" call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter no there was no response from the aircraft.
Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off.
In this combo of images, a London-bound Air India plane crashes moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (PTI Photo)www.easterneye.biz
"The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB," it said. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
India's aviation minster said he was "shocked and devastated" at the tragic incident, saying his "thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families".
"I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said in a statment.
"Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site," he added. "My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families."
The last fatal plane crash in India involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a "table-top" runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India in 2020. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground.