Ahmedabad, India – Authorities reported that at least 30 people died when an Air India plane carrying 242 individuals to London crashed minutes after departing from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. The casualty count is anticipated to rise.
Air India confirmed that the aircraft was en route to Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, while police officers indicated it crashed in a residential area close to the airport.
“The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer informed reporters. India’s CNN News-18 TV channels reported that the plane struck the dining area of the state-run BJ Medical College hostel, claiming the lives of numerous medical students. Visuals showed a section of the aircraft perched atop the building. Rescue workers stated that between 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the site, with more individuals still trapped.
A source told Reuters that the passenger manifest included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. Of these, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 identified the plane as a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most advanced passenger aircraft currently in service. According to the Aviation Safety Network database, this marks the first crash for the Dreamliner, which commenced commercial flights in 2011. Flightradar24 noted that the crashed plane first flew in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014.
“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India posted on X. “The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.”
Crash Shortly After Take-off
Television channels reported that the crash occurred immediately after the plane’s takeoff. One channel broadcast footage of the plane ascending over a residential area before vanishing from the screen, followed by a massive jet of fire erupting into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also depicted burning debris with thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport. Additionally, footage showed people being moved on stretchers and transported away in ambulances.
“My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,” Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, informed news agency ANI at the government hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI that her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. “My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,” she stated.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It issued a “Mayday” call, signaling an emergency, but subsequently, there was no further response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also confirmed that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after its takeoff.
Boeing stated its awareness of the initial reports and its efforts to gather more information. Boeing (BA.N) shares fell 6.8% to $199.13 in pre-market trading.
Britain’s foreign office issued a statement on its website, confirming it was collaborating with Indian authorities to swiftly ascertain the facts surrounding the crash and to provide support to those affected. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. “It is heartbreaking beyond words.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described images emerging from the crash as “devastating” and confirmed he was being kept updated as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson also confirmed that King Charles was being kept informed.
Modi’s Home State
The Indian aviation minister’s office announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed all possible support be extended to the rescue efforts immediately. Ahmedabad is the principal city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Ahmedabad Airport declared an immediate suspension of all flight operations. The airport is operated by India’s Adani Group conglomerate. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171,” Gautam Adani, the group’s founder and chairman, posted on X. “Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss. We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground,” he added.
The last fatal plane crash in India occurred in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary. That incident saw the airline’s Boeing-737 overshoot a “table-top” runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people lost their lives in that crash.
Formerly state-owned, Air India was acquired by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022 and subsequently merged with Vistara—a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines—in 2024. Tata announced that an emergency center had been activated and a support team established for families seeking information.
