AHMEDABAD, India — June 12: In what is being described as the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing over 240 people, according to officials.
The ill-fated Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew bound for Gatwick Airport near London, slammed into a medical college hostel during lunchtime, leaving behind a scene of devastation. Only one person, a British national of Indian origin, miraculously survived the crash and is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The survivor, who was seated in 11A beside an emergency exit, recounted the horror. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, I heard a massive bang, and then everything went dark,” Ramesh Viswashkumar, 40, told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. “I woke up surrounded by bodies. I was terrified. I got up and ran. Wreckage was everywhere.” He was rescued by bystanders and rushed to safety.
His brother Ajay, who was traveling in a different seat, remains missing. “Please help me find him,” Ramesh pleaded.
Authorities, including senior police official Vidhi Chaudhary, confirmed the death toll has now surpassed 240, revising it down from an earlier count of 294 due to double-counted body parts. It's still unclear how many of the deceased were on board and how many were on the ground.
Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik confirmed that the casualties include not just passengers but also residents of the hostel building. Tragically, Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, was among those killed.
According to state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi, relatives are being asked to submit DNA samples for victim identification due to the severe condition of many bodies. Debris from the plane was found strewn across the hostel building, with the tail section seen lodged on its roof.
A source told Reuters that the flight carried 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. Among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
This marks the first-ever crash involving a Dreamliner, a modern wide-body aircraft that entered commercial service in 2011. The particular plane involved first flew in 2013 and joined Air India’s fleet in January 2014, according to Flightradar24 and the Aviation Safety Network.
MAYDAY MOMENTS AFTER TAKEOFF
CCTV footage from a nearby neighborhood captured the aircraft’s brief ascent before a massive fireball lit up the skyline—evidence of the impact just moments after departure.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the plane took off at 1:39 p.m. local time (0809 GMT) and made a Mayday call before all communication was lost.
Poonam Patel, who lost a loved one on the flight, told ANI, “My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, we got the shocking news.”
Ramila, a mother of a student from the medical college, shared that her son narrowly escaped. “He was in the hostel for lunch. When the crash happened, he jumped from the second floor and sustained minor injuries. But he’s alive, thank God.”
The world is now mourning the catastrophic loss, as rescue teams continue to comb through the charred wreckage in search of answers—and possibly, more survivors.
Description:
"A tragic Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad kills over 240 people shortly after takeoff, marking the worst aviation disaster in a decade. The plane, en route to London Gatwick, struck a medical college hostel, leaving only one miraculous survivor. Officials revise the death toll, identify victims through DNA testing, and launch investigations into the catastrophe."