The Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, tragically crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday, June 12, 2025, claiming the lives of 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board. The sole survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar, was seated near an emergency exit and managed to jump out of the aircraft. The crash occurred near Meghaninagar in Ahmedabad, around 2 p.m. local time.
Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian. The flight was piloted by Capt. Sumit Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder.
The impact of the crash was devastating, especially for those on the ground. The plane plummeted into the B.J. Medical College hostel mess, where over 100 students were gathered for lunch. This resulted in the deaths of four MBBS students and the wife of a doctor. Nineteen other students were injured, with five in serious condition, and two students remained untraceable following the incident. In addition to the students, approximately 75 bodies were recovered from the Atulyam Flats and the Civil Hospital staff quarters in Meghani Nagar, the residential area where the plane crashed. In total, 265 bodies were taken to Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital.
Among the deceased were also two cabin crew members from Manipur, Kongrabailatpam Nganthoi Sharma and Lamnunthem Singson.
Initial reports suggested that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers, but later sources confirmed that he was not on board the flight and had taken a different flight.
The crash prompted immediate responses from various authorities and organizations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief and sadness. The Tata Group announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash. The Ahmedabad airport temporarily suspended flight operations, but they have since resumed. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, and one of the black boxes has been recovered.
The incident has cast a spotlight on India's history of aviation disasters. The crash site has been secured, and authorities are focused on victim identification and providing support to the affected families.
