Air India plane makes emergency landing in Thailand less than 24h after Gatwick flight horror
An Air India plane has been forced to make an emergency landing in Thailand - less than 24 hours after a Gatwick-bound flight ended in tragedy, crashing moments after take-off.
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The Delhi-bound flight departed Phuket Airport at 9.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Friday, with the jet forced to make an emergency landing following reports of a bomb on board.
Heading for India's capital, Flight AI 379 made an about turn over the Andaman Sea according to Flightradar24 data, returning to its departure airport shortly
It comes less than 24 hours after Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed in a densely populated area close to Ahmedabad Airport, minutes after leaving the runway at around 1pm local time.
Flight AI 379, an Airbus A320, turned around 20 minutes in the flight after the note was discovered, according to reports from local media.
Airport authorities have confirmed that the aircraft was forced to suddenly land again after warnings of an explosion.
It follows reports that a bomb threat note was found in the lavatory of the Air India Flight.
All 156 passengers on board disembarked the aircraft safely upon landing and were escorted from the plane by airport staff.
It comes as it emerged the sole survivor from doomed Air India flight 171 was a British national.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh told the Hindustan Times he heard a "loud noise" around 30 seconds after take-off before the plane plummeted to earth.
Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: “We were just shocked as soon as we heard it.
“I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We’re devastated, just devastated."
He said: 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'.”
Pictures have emerged showing chunks of the plane's fuselage and tail protruding from a demolished building.