A tragic air disaster occurred Thursday in the Indian city of Ahmedabad when a London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing nearly all 242 people on board.
Officials confirmed only one survivor from the crash that devastated a residential area housing medical professionals and their families.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as Air India flight 171, slammed into buildings near the city’s airport around lunchtime, igniting a massive blaze.
An AFP journalist at the site witnessed the plane’s tail section hanging precariously over a crumbled building, with thick smoke rising into the sky as rescue operations continued.
City Police Commissioner, GS Malik, disclosed that “204 bodies have been recovered” so far, while dozens of others are being treated for injuries sustained either in the crash or on the ground.
Amid the devastation, a glimmer of hope emerged. “One survivor is confirmed and has been hospitalised,” said Dhananjay Dwivedi, a state health official. The individual’s identity remains undisclosed as of press time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, saying, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words.”
The aircraft was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. Passenger nationality breakdown revealed 169 Indians, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The flight was headed to London’s Gatwick Airport.
Krishna, a doctor who witnessed the horrific scene, explained that “one half of the plane crashed into the residential building where doctors lived with their families,” while “the nose and front wheel landed on the canteen building where students were having lunch.”
He added, “I saw about 15 to 20 burnt bodies. My colleagues and I managed to rescue around 15 students from the wreckage.”
Ahmedabad, home to about eight million people, has its airport situated close to densely populated neighborhoods, making such accidents even more devastating.
Eyewitness Poonam Patni described the chaos: “When we reached the spot, there were several bodies lying around. Firefighters were battling the flames. Many of the bodies were burned.”
The crash site, located between a hospital and Ghoda Camp neighborhood, was swiftly cordoned off as medics and security officials moved in. A cart was seen being used to move charred remains into ambulances.
The airport has since been shut down. The operator confirmed that all flights were “suspended until further notice.”
Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, expressed condolences and confirmed it was in contact with Air India. “We are ready to support them,” the US company said. This incident marks the first fatal crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident “devastating” and offered condolences. King Charles III also shared his shock, stating he was “desperately saddened by the news.”
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India said the plane issued a mayday call before crashing. A source close to the investigation noted that the aircraft went down moments after lifting off from the runway.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, has pledged compensation of 10 million rupees (approximately $117,000) to each victim’s family.
Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced that the airline had also set up an emergency center to support affected families. He added that medical expenses for the injured would be fully covered.
Meanwhile, both the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the United States National Transportation Safety Board are deploying teams to assist Indian authorities in the ongoing probe.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, aviation experts have begun to offer preliminary thoughts.
“It is very unlikely that the plane was overweight or carrying too much fuel,” said Dr. Jason Knight, a senior lecturer in fluid mechanics at the University of Portsmouth.
“The aircraft is designed to operate even if one engine fails. A double engine failure, possibly caused by a bird strike, is the most probable explanation at this point.”
India has experienced a number of air disasters in the past, including a mid-air collision in 1996 over New Delhi that killed nearly 350 people, and a 2010 crash in Mangalore that claimed 158 lives.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently described India’s aviation industry growth as “nothing short of phenomenal.” With a population of 1.4 billion, India is now the world’s fourth-largest aviation market and is expected to rise to third place within the next decade.
