Air India Dreamliner Crash in Ahmedabad Claims Over 290 Lives

PAHARI BARUAH

June 12, 2025 – In a tragedy that has sent shockwaves across India and the global aviation community, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad just minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The catastrophic incident, occurring on Thursday afternoon, has claimed the lives of at least 294 people, including passengers, crew, and students on the ground, leaving a nation in profound mourning.

Air India Dreamliner Crash in Ahmedabad Claims Over 290 Lives

The ill-fated aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew – comprising 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian – departed at 1:39 p.m. local time. Almost immediately, the flight issued a desperate “Mayday” call, indicating a grave emergency, before losing all contact with air traffic control.

Eyewitnesses reported the plane flying unusually low and struggling for altitude before it plunged into the dining hall of the BJ Medical College hostel in the Meghaninagar area, igniting a massive fireball fuelled by the aircraft’s full load of fuel for its long-haul journey.

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The impact was devastating, with the plane’s tail fin left grotesquely perched atop the hostel building. Debris was scattered across a 400-meter radius, bearing a haunting testament to the students who were having lunch when disaster struck. At least five medical students have been confirmed dead, with up to 60 others injured, some critically. The Federation of All India Medical Association reported that four students remain missing, their fates tragically uncertain amidst the smoldering wreckage.

Among the victims was Vijay Rupani, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat, whose passing adds a poignant and deeply felt loss to the tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a native of Gujarat, expressed his profound grief on X, describing the crash as “heartbreaking beyond words” and assuring that all authorities were mobilized to assist those affected.

In a miraculous turn of events, one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British-Indian from London, survived the crash. Seated in 11A near an emergency exit, he recounted the horror to the Hindustan Times: “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.”

Ramesh, who sustained bruising to his chest, eyes, and feet, was rescued by locals and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, where he was visited by India’s Home Minister Amit Shah.

The crash site presented a grim picture of destruction, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky as firefighters battled the raging inferno. Rescue teams, including 400 personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force and six National Disaster Response Force units, worked tirelessly through the wreckage to recover bodies and aid the injured. Due to the intensity of the fire, most remains were charred beyond recognition, necessitating reliance on DNA samples for identification.

This tragedy marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model widely lauded for its advanced technology and commendable safety record since its commercial debut in 2011.

Aviation experts have expressed shock, noting the aircraft’s previously robust track record. Preliminary speculation regarding the cause points to possibilities such as multiple bird strikes or issues with the plane’s configuration, as grainy footage suggested the landing gear was still down and the slats and flaps may not have been correctly positioned for climb.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India has launched a comprehensive probe, supported by teams from the UK and the U.S., including experts from Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board. The recovery of the black box and cockpit voice recorder is expected to provide critical clues into the sequence of events leading to this disaster.

Eyewitness accounts further emphasized the sheer chaos. Dr. Shyam Govind, a doctor at BJ Medical College, described the scene: “I and my junior doctor were injured. Thirty to forty undergraduate doctors also suffered injuries.”

Ramila, a mother whose son was in the hostel, recounted his narrow escape: “He jumped from the second floor and has injuries, but he’s alive.” Another witness, Haresh Shah, told PTI the plane was “flying very low” before it struck the residential quarters, igniting fires that engulfed nearby buildings.

The crash has sent shockwaves through the global aviation community. Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, expressed “deep sorrow,” announcing that a special team had been dispatched to Ahmedabad to provide support to the victims’ families. The Tata Group, which owns Air India, has pledged ₹1 crore (approximately £86,000) to the families of each deceased victim and committed to covering medical expenses for the injured, while also aiding in the rebuilding of the damaged hostel.

International leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, offered their heartfelt condolences, with Trump describing the incident as “one of the worst accidents in aviation history” and pledging U.S. assistance. The UK government, acknowledging the 53 British nationals on board, has deployed a multidisciplinary team to aid the investigation and opened a hotline for affected citizens.

The disaster has also reignited scrutiny of Boeing, which has recently faced safety and quality concerns related to other models. Shares of the U.S. manufacturer fell 8% in pre-market trading, reflecting investor unease as the company faces questions about the Dreamliner’s performance.

In Ahmedabad, a city now cloaked in grief, the focus remains on the immense human toll. Poonam Patel, waiting anxiously at the civil hospital, spoke of her sister-in-law who was on the flight: “An hour later, we heard about the crash.” The Gloucester Muslim Bereavement Council, mourning the loss of three British victims—Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa, and their four-year-old daughter Sara—called for a “full and transparent inquiry” as communities in the UK and India plan vigils to honor those lost.

As rescue operations continue and investigators meticulously comb through the wreckage, the nation holds its breath, desperately seeking answers to a tragedy that has left an indelible scar on Ahmedabad’s heart. The road to healing will be long, but for now, the city weeps for the lives cut short in a fleeting moment of terror.

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