An Air India Boeing 787-8, reportedly linked to London, crashed shortly after takeoff in Gujarat, involving 242 individuals, including 53 British passengers, on Thursday.
The passenger flight from India to the UK experienced a serious incident early Thursday morning. While there were no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries, the scene was alarming, with debris scattered among collapsed buildings in the area.
The aircraft was reportedly fully fueled for a long journey and this contributed significantly to a fire at the crash site.
Update 1310 BST – “No Survivors”
In devastating news from Gujarat, GS Malik, an officer with the Ahmedabad police, indicated that “there don’t seem to be any survivors from the crash,” and given that the plane went down in a residential area, “local residents likely perished too,” implying that the number of casualties could exceed 242.
The jet is said to have gone down within minutes of departure, crashing just a short distance from the runway, possibly within a minute. The pilot was noted to be experienced, with many hours of flight time logged.
Firefighters working at the site of the crashed plane in Ahmedabad, northwest India, on Thursday, June 12th, 2025.
Update 1215 BST – Full Passenger Manifesto released
The Indian government has released the complete passenger manifest. Notably, among those in business class was Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Guardian reported that local rescue teams had recovered “30 bodies” from the wreckage.
Read the original report below
According to Air India, Flight AI171 was involved in the accident shortly after departing from Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city, bound for London Gatwick. The flight had 242 individuals on board, including 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian.
The airline mentioned that “the injured are being taken to the nearest hospital.”
This flight involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Reports indicated that Captain Sameet Sabalwar issued a Mayday call shortly after takeoff before the jet crashed in the Megani Nagar district of Ahmedabad within five minutes of lift-off. Images were shared showing the tail of the Boeing lodged into a building’s roof.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow, stating, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad shocked and saddened us. It is truly heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to all affected.”
This story is developing and remains ongoing.
