Tragic Crash of Air India Flight AI 171 Claims Over 240 Lives
Ahmedabad, June 12, 2025 – In one of India’s most devastating aviation disasters in recent years, Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport at 1:38 p.m. IST, on its way to London Gatwick. Onboard were 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The aircraft struck a hostel block at B.J. Medical College in Meghani Nagar, instantly engulfed in flames.
Rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army units, and local fire services, rushed to the scene. They battled intense fires and debris using excavators and heavy machinery. Over 269 individuals — 241 onboard and at least 28 on the ground — were confirmed dead. More than 60 others were injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s Home Minister Amit Shah visited the site. Shah confirmed that 125,000 liters of jet fuel fueled the inferno, complicating rescue efforts. DNA identification is underway due to the severity of the crash.
Miraculous Sole Survivor
A 40-year-old British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated by an emergency exit in 11A, survived with minor injuries. He was conscious upon rescue and later described the horror, saying, “I saw people dying in front of my eyes”.
Family’s Final Moments
Among the deceased were Dr. Prateek Joshi and Dr. Komi Vyas, along with their three young children. They had recently taken a hopeful family selfie aboard the plane while relocating to London—an image now emblematic of this heartbreak.
The crash marks the first fatal incident involving a Boeing Dreamliner since its launch in 2011. International investigative teams from the UK’s AAIB, the US NTSB, and Boeing are assisting India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Boeing and GE Aerospace have deployed technical teams; Boeing’s stock fell in response.
Preliminary assessments are focusing on potential issues with flap and engine performance during climb-out. Stability anomalies could have contributed to the aircraft’s inability to maintain altitude.
Tata Sons, Air India’s parent company, has pledged more than $116,000 per victim’s family, medical coverage for the injured, and support to rebuild the impacted medical college.
Ahmedabad Airport has resumed limited operations. Black box retrieval is complete, and rescue services are finalizing recovery. The full AAIB report is expected to take several months as investigators analyze flight data, maintenance logs, and environmental conditions.
This event has shocked India and reverberated internationally, garnering condolences from leaders in the U.K. and Canada, and prompting memorial vigils in Gujarati diaspora communities. Authorities continue to pursue answers as they uncover the final voice of Flight AI 171.
May God rest their souls and comfort their loved ones 💔.
