Indian cricket icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shared their condolences after an Air India aircraft crashed in a residential area of Meghani Nagar, close to the airport, while en route to London on Thursday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying 242 individuals at the time of the incident.

Both players took to social media to express their sorrow and support for the bereaved families, offering prayers and strength during this heartbreaking period.

Virat Kohli shared on his Instagram story, "I am shocked to learn about the plane crash in Ahmedabad today. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected and their families."

Rohit Sharma, the former Indian captain, also expressed his grief, stating, "It’s truly sad and disturbing news from Ahmedabad. My prayers go out to the lives lost and their families."

The aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:39 PM IST and shortly after, it issued a Mayday distress signal as per Air Traffic Control protocols. Unfortunately, communication attempts failed, and the plane crashed within minutes, leading to a massive fire and thick smoke, which was widely shared on news and social media platforms.

Among the passengers were 169 Indians, along with 53 from the UK, seven from Portugal, one from Canada, and 12 crew members. The flight was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who has over 8,200 flying hours, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who has 1,100 flying hours.

Emergency responders rushed to the crash site, where only one person is believed to have survived. Efforts to identify the victims are ongoing, and rescue operations continue.