A tragic aviation disaster unfolded on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad when an Air India aircraft en route to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in mass casualties and widespread devastation. According to the airline and local authorities, the aircraft was carrying 242 individuals, including passengers and crew members.
Initially, police officials reported no survivors from the crash of Air India flight AI171. However, subsequent updates from two government sources indicated that “one man who had been on the plane survived and was being treated at a hospital.” Authorities also expressed concern about possible civilian fatalities, as the aircraft collided with buildings in a populated area.
The ill-fated aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed at 1:38 p.m. local time and was transporting 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
“Investigations will take time, but anything we can do now, we are doing,” said Air India CEO Campbell Wilson in a video statement. “We understand that people are eager for information. Please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we report must be accurate and not speculative. We owe that to everyone involved. For now, our teams are working around the clock to support passengers, crew and their families — as well as investigators — however we can.” Wilson added that a “special team of caregivers” was being dispatched to Ahmedabad to support those affected.
Ajit Solanki/AP
The aircraft had been scheduled to land at London’s Gatwick Airport at 6:25 p.m. local time (1:25 p.m. Eastern), according to airport officials.
“It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,” Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told The Associated Press. “As the plane has fallen in a residential area which also had offices, some locals would have also died.” Malik was later quoted by India’s ANI news agency as stating that “there was one survivor found on the plane,” although Air India had yet to confirm this detail. AFP also cited a health department official confirming the lone survivor.
Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, responded by stating it was “in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”
According to Boeing’s April 2025 safety summary, this marks the first crash involving a 787-8 Dreamliner.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it would “be leading a team of U.S. investigators traveling to India to assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation into the crash.” Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration said India would lead the investigation but added that it was “ready to launch a team immediately in coordination with the NTSB” if needed.
Dramatic video footage shared online by NDTV allegedly shows the aircraft flying unusually low before disappearing behind a line of buildings, followed by a massive explosion. No signs of fire or explosion were visible on the plane before it went down, the footage showed.
The impact of the crash was felt directly at B.J. Medical College, where part of the aircraft struck a dining hall. “Some of the injured are critical. We are in close contact with our peers in the hospital who are on a lookout for more people feared buried in the debris,” said Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association. He reported that at least five medical students were killed, and nearly 50 others injured in the facility.
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the deceased. “He will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the development & welfare of his state,” Singh said in a tribute shared on social media.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, head of India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, told AP the aircraft went down just five minutes after takeoff. Flight tracking service FlightRadar showed the plane flying a short distance southwest before the signal stopped. It reportedly reached a maximum barometric altitude of only 625 feet before descending rapidly.
Aviation consultant John M. Cox noted, “At this point, it’s very, very, very early, we don’t know a whole lot. But the 787 has very extensive flight data monitoring — the parameters on the flight data recorder are in the thousands — so once we get that recorder, they’ll be able to know pretty quickly what happened.”
The Indian Army dispatched over 130 personnel, including doctors and paramedics, to aid in the rescue efforts and support local authorities, according to AP reports.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, stating, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also reacted, saying, “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.”
