Air India Plane Crash: All 241 Passengers Dead, 1 Miraculously Survives

All 242 people aboard the UK-bound Air India flight which crashed in Ahmedabad, are believed to be dead, AFP reported, citing local media.

"It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash," The Associated Press quoted Commissioner GS Malik as saying. The plane crashed at BJ Medical College Hostel, and the cop said, "some locals would have also died." "Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained," he added.

However, speaking to ANI on a phone call, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said that one passenger has survived. He said, "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area."

Dhananjay Dwivedi, Additional Chief Secretary, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department said that Ahmedabd Civil Hospital students' hostel, staff quarters and other residential areas are located in the area where the plane crashed and the residents of that area were also injured.

"About 50 injured people have been brought to Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. They are being provided the best treatment. They are serious but stable. DNA testing arrangements have been made at B.J. Medical, so families and close ones of the flight passengers, especially their parents and children, are requested to submit their samples at the location. So that the victims are identified at the earliest," he added.

The London-bound Air India plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from in Meghaninagar area near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38pm with 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Piloted by Capt. Sumit Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder, the flight included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens.

Airport operations in the city were temporarily suspended.

There were fears that some in Meghaninagar could be among those who lost their lives. Many of those injured were taken to the city civil hospital nearby.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, asking them to go to Ahmedabad and ensure all possible assistance to those affected in the tragedy, sources said. Visuals from the area showed mangled metal of the wreckage, snarls of tangled wire and smoke rising from the charred remnants.

"Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on http://airindia.com and on our X handle," Air India posted on X. Expressing his profound sorrow, Air India chairperson N Chandrasekaran said an emergency centre has been activated and support teams set up for families seeking information.

"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. "We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.

Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information," he said in a post on X. Jayesh Patel, an eyewitness, said he was just about 500-600 metres away when he heard a loud sound and saw smoke in the air.

"I have never seen anything like this," he told NDTV, adding that thousands of people came onto the road. Emergency responders reached the site promptly and have launched intensive rescue, evacuation, and firefighting operations. Thursday's tragedy is the second air disaster in Gujarat's principal city. On October 19, 1988, an Indian Airlines plane crashed in its final approach to the Ahmedabad airport, killing 130 people.