Pope Leo XIV expresses his deep sadness for the plane crash in India

Pope Leo XIV expressed his “deep sadness” for the tragic accident that occurred this Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787 airplane from Air India, destined for London, crashed shortly after takeoff in a residential area. On board 242 people were traveling, all deceased.

In a telegram sent in his name by the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin – as usual in these cases – the Pontiff expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims.

“Leo XIV sends his deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased,” he said, according to the Vatican.

The Pontiff also assured their prayers for those who are participating in the rescue work, and raised a plea for the souls of the deceased:

“Trusting the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty,” the Holy Father invoked the “divine blessing of healing and peace.”

The star plane also transported 53 British citizens, 7 Portuguese and a Canadian, among other passengers. Some of the victims were on land: they were resident doctors who lived in a university bedroom, achieved by the impact.

The government of the federal state of Gujarat, of which Ahmedabad – a city of three and a half million inhabitants – is the capital, has decreed the state of emergency.

Numerous condolence messages have come from all over the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the event as “a tragedy that gives us the heart”, while the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer He expressed his proximity to the families of the passengers “in this moment of deep anguish.”