Air India plane crashes, killing 241 of 242 people on board

Air India plane crashes, killing all 242 people on board — The photo shows an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner just before it crashed in Ahmedabad, India, killing all 242 people on board on June 12, 2025. Photo: Video/X

AHMEDABAD, India,— An Air India flight carrying 242 people en route to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing 241 on board, officials said.

Authorities said only one person survived when the Air India jet slammed into a student hostel during lunchtime, a crash that also killed at least 24 people on the ground, according to local media reports.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, the lone survivor among the 242 passengers aboard the London-bound aircraft, had been seated near an emergency exit and managed to escape by jumping from the plane, police confirmed.

The aircraft went down in a residential area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a hostel complex associated with B.J. Medical College, according to local police. Officials confirmed the crash is among the deadliest aviation incidents in India’s recent history.

Authorities stated that the plane issued a distress call shortly after taking off at 1:39 p.m. local time (0809 GMT), but lost contact moments later.

The aircraft was identified as a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which first entered service in 2011. Thursday’s accident marks the first major crash involving this model, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network.

Emergency crews and local volunteers worked through the afternoon to recover bodies and assist survivors in the surrounding area. More than 100 bodies, many badly burned, were brought to Ahmedabad’s civil hospital for postmortem examinations, police said.

Terrifying final moments of Air India Flight AI 171 crashing into a residential area in Ahmedabad today. Clearly catastrophic loss of lift. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/TbgCjPLXXc

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 12, 2025

Earlier the local newspaper Indian Express, citing police sources, reported that all 242 passengers and crew on board perished in the crash. The victims included 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. Air India reported that among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Police said that the plane struck a doctors’ hostel and parts of the fuselage were spread across the grounds. The aircraft’s tail section remained lodged atop the building. Visuals from the site showed thick plumes of smoke, with the structure partially collapsed. Fire crews battled flames while medics transferred injured residents of the hostel.

CNN News-18 reported that many of the deceased in the building were medical students using the dining area at the time of impact.

“My son was having lunch at the hostel when the crash happened,” said Ramila, a local resident, speaking to ANI news agency. “He survived by jumping from the second floor. He has injuries but is alive.”

At the crash site, rescue teams cleared approximately 70 to 80 percent of the debris, with the remainder expected to be removed overnight. A senior police officer confirmed that structural integrity assessments were underway for the hostel and neighboring buildings.

An investigation is ongoing. Flightradar24, an aviation tracking platform, noted that the last signal from the aircraft was received seconds after departure.

Video footage from the area showed the aircraft passing low over homes before vanishing from view and a fireball erupting moments later.

A U.S.-based aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, reviewed the footage and told Reuters that the aircraft’s landing gear appeared to be down—an unusual configuration for takeoff, suggesting mechanical or procedural irregularities.

Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, said it is aware of the incident and is gathering information. Its shares dropped nearly 7% in pre-market trading on Thursday. Engine manufacturer GE Aerospace plans to dispatch a team to assist in retrieving cockpit and engine data, according to CNBC TV18.

The British Foreign Office stated it is in contact with Indian authorities to determine the full scope of the incident and provide consular support. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the crash images “devastating.” King Charles has also been briefed on the incident, according to Buckingham Palace.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted condolences on X, saying the event was “beyond words.”

Previous Major Crashes in India:

August 2020: An Air India Express plane overshot the runway during monsoon conditions in Kozhikode; 21 fatalities.
May 2010: Air India flight crashed in Mangaluru after failing to land properly; 158 deaths.
July 2000: An Alliance Air flight crashed into a neighborhood in Patna; more than 50 dead.
April 1993: An Indian Airlines jet crashed on takeoff in Aurangabad; 55 fatalities.
August 1991: All 69 on board killed when a flight crashed near Imphal.
October 1988: More than 130 dead in a crash on approach to Ahmedabad.
January 1978: 213 lives lost when an Air India flight plunged into the Arabian Sea shortly after takeoff from Mumbai.