An Air India aircraft bound for the United Kingdom crashed during takeoff at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.
The flight landed on top of the state-run B.J. Medical College hostel, resulting also in the death of at least 5 medical students. Authorities have confirmed the death of 241 passengers. Ramesh Vishwaskumar Bucharvada, however, is a miracle survivor. He was in seat 11A.
“One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment,” said police.
Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner GS Malik told AP added that, with the plane crashing in a residential area with offices, “some locals would have also died.”
“Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,” he said.
Sources have confirmed that former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers aboard the ill-fated flight.
Minister of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that several people died in the Air India plane crash today, saying, “What has happened in Ahmedabad is a very tragic accident. We have lost a lot of people. We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. There are several foreigners. You will receive the updates from the relevant departments: Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, and others. That is the latest I can share. It is an evolving situation. The rescue operations are on. We need to wait a little more time for exact details to be put out,” he said.
The ill-fated flight, AI171, was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London’s Gatwick Airport with 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, according to Indian media reports. Of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian.
Flight AI171, scheduled to depart at 1:10 pm, had earlier in the day completed a flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad, according to aviation tracking service Flightradar24.
The Boeing 787 aircraft, tail number VT-ANB, departed from Runway 23 at 1:39 p.m. IST (8:09 UTC). Air traffic control reported receiving a “Mayday” call from the aircraft before all communication was lost. The plane fell to the ground outside the airport perimeter immediately after departure.
The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Licensed Type Commander with 8,200 hours of experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed the accident near Meghaninagar area but could not immediately identify the aircraft type. “A plane crashed near the airport. Details about the aircraft are still being verified,” Malik said.
Air India acknowledged the incident in a social media post, stating: “We are ascertaining details and will share updates promptly.” The airline has yet to release the cause of the crash.
Aviation authorities have launched an investigation as emergency crews respond to the scene. Dramatic footage circulating online shows massive black smoke billowing from the crash site.
Flight operations at Ahmedabad airport have been temporarily suspended following the crash of Air India Flight AI171 on Thursday, airport authorities said. More than 700 personnel from the Indian Army and Coast Guard are deployed in the rescue operation.
“As a result of the Air India plane crash incident, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), Ahmedabad, is currently not operational. All flight operations are temporarily suspended until further notice,” the airport said in an official statement.
The first crash of a Boeing 787
The 787 Dreamliner is a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Boeing said it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “working to gather more information.” Shares of Boeing Co were down nearly 9% before trading opened in the US.
The aircraft was introduced in 2009, and more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines, according to the flightradar24 website.
The last major passenger plane crash in India was in 2020, when an Air India Express Boeing-737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people.
The worst air disaster in India was on Nov. 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhastan Airlines Flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 on board the two planes.