A devastating air tragedy unfolded in India on Thursday, as an Air India flight en route to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of over 200 people. The flight, AI171, carried more than 240 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. According to Indian authorities, the aircraft went down just minutes after departing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 p.m. local time.

The crash occurred in a densely populated residential area of Meghani Nagar, where the plane struck part of the B.J. Medical College and Hospital hostel. First responders rushed to the scene, battling thick black smoke and flames engulfing the wreckage. The aircraft, which had just taken off and was fully fueled, set surrounding buildings ablaze. Emergency crews pulled charred bodies from the site, while others were seen being carried away on stretchers.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, The sole survivor of the Air India crash escaped by jumping from the plane. He was on seat number 11A. #AirIndia #AhmedabadNews #Gujarat #PlaneCrash #ITReel pic.twitter.com/NsMBeZOkbX

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) June 12, 2025

In a rare glimmer of hope amid the devastation, a single survivor was discovered. Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, 38, who was seated in 11A, reportedly managed to leap from the plane. Injured but alive, he was captured on video walking near the site before being taken to hospital. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed the survival of one individual, now under medical treatment, but warned that the death toll could rise given the location of the crash.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, describing the incident as “heartbreaking beyond words” and offering his condolences to the families of the victims. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also issued a message of sympathy, saying they were "desperately shocked" and extending their prayers to those affected. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the images “devastating,” while Cabinet minister Lucy Powell assured that the UK government would provide all possible assistance to those impacted, both in India and the UK.

#WATCH | Ahmedabad Plane Crash | Visuals from the doctors' hostel where the London-bound Air India flight crashed. The tail fin of the aircraft seen on the premises. pic.twitter.com/yH2oEKrxPE

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025

The ill-fated flight included 169 Indian citizens, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India. The discrepancy in the total number on board—Air India reported 242 while India’s civil aviation authority put the figure at 244 - remains under investigation. Among the passengers were multiple British families, and the crash has deeply shaken communities in the UK, where nearly 1.9 million people are of Indian descent.

This accident marks a grim milestone in aviation history: it is the first recorded crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The twin-engine widebody aircraft, introduced in 2009, had until now maintained a strong safety record. Over 1,000 Dreamliners have been delivered to airlines worldwide. Boeing confirmed awareness of the crash and said it is collecting more information. Shares of Boeing fell sharply in pre-market trading in the U.S.

Preliminary flight data revealed the aircraft barely climbed to 625 feet before it descended and crashed. Aviation safety expert John M. Cox, speaking to the Associated Press, noted that although early images are unclear, the plane appeared to have pitched upward but failed to climb, a detail investigators are likely to examine. He emphasized that the Boeing 787’s flight data recorder is highly advanced and should provide answers relatively quickly.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, head of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said the aircraft went down five minutes after takeoff. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that all efforts were underway to provide relief and medical care, while Indian Army teams assisted with debris removal and rescue coordination.

This latest crash revives memories of past air disasters in India. The country’s last major passenger plane crash occurred in 2020, when an Air India Express flight overshot a runway and killed 21 people. The deadliest air tragedy in Indian history remains the 1996 midair collision between Saudi Arabian Airlines and Kazakhstan Airlines, which killed all 349 on board.

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said the airline’s immediate priority is to support victims’ families. An emergency center has been set up to provide information and assistance. In a public message, he extended the airline’s “deepest condolences” to those affected.

The crash came just days before the Paris Air Show, a significant event for the global aviation industry where Boeing and Airbus typically compete for new jet orders. The timing adds further scrutiny to Boeing, which has faced years of reputational damage since the back-to-back 737 Max disasters in Indonesia (2018) and Ethiopia (2019). In both cases, the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, killing hundreds and triggering a global review of Boeing’s safety protocols.