World in shock over devastating crash of Air India flight to London

Hundreds of lives lost as London-bound Air India plane crashes after take-off

Jay Jackson
13 Jun 2025, 00:52 GMT+10

World in shock over devastating crash of Air India flight to London

The Air India flight en-route to London took off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, however it struggled to get fully airborne.
The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
Emergency responders, including dozens of ambulances were quickly on the crash scene as it was not far from the airport.

NEW DELHI, India - The world is in shock following Thursday's devastating plane crash in India which has killed at least 290 people, with the death toll expected to rise.

The Air India flight en-route to London took off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, however it struggled to get fully airborne, and crashed into the surrounding residential area, less than a minute after take-off.

All but one of the 242 on board were killed in the crash, while the remainder of the casualties came from the residential area of the western city of Ahmedabad in India's Guajarat state.

The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, delivered new to Air India in 2014, so was fourteen years old. It was one of 27 Dreamliners in the Air-India fleet. "Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau," the Boeing Chair and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement Thursday.

Boeing will defer to India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to provide information about Air India Flight 171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol known as Annex 13(opens in a new tab), the statement said.

Emergency responders, including dozens of ambulances were quickly on the crash scene as it was not far from the airport.

"Shocked and devastated to learn about the flight crash in Ahmedabad. We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action," India's civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said in a statement.

"Rescue teams have been mobilized, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site. My thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families," Kinjarapu added.

According to Flightradar24, Air India Flight 171 departed Ahmedabad International airport at 1:38pm local time, its destination London Gatwick Airport. The plane's signal was lost less than 60 seconds later, at an altitude of 625 feet.

Forty-nine other people were killed as the plane crashed into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel in a residential area of Ahmedabad. The casualties came from the hostel, and surrounding residential buildings. The plane carried 230 passengers and twelve crew members.

Of the 242 passengers and crew on board, only one person survived, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A, alongside an emergency exit. He waas found staggering out of the crashed plane in blood-stained clothes.

Air India's owner, the giant Tata Group, has pledged to pay the equivalent of $116,868 (USD) to the families of those who have lost their lives in the crash.

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