London-bound A-I plane with 242 passengers, crew on board crashes near Ahmedabad airport

A London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed in a crowded residential area here minutes after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. Many people were feared killed.

The pilot of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.

In a video recorded by a resident, the twin-engine wide bodied aircraft could be seen losing altitude rapidly and crashing in a ball of fire that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.

Former Gujarat chief minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani was reported to be among the 230 passengers and 12 crew members on the doomed flight from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport.

According to Air India, of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

The aircraft crashed near the residential quarters of doctors and nursing staff of city civil hospital and BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on the busy Thursday afternoon.

“The aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from Runway 23. It gave a MAYDAY Call to ATC, but thereafter no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC,” according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Visuals from the wreckage area showed charred bodies being pulled out and the injured, many with burns, wheeled into the city civil hospital close by.

There was no official estimate of those killed or injured from the crash, India's second biggest air disaster since 2020 when an Air India Express flight skidded off a wet runway while landing at Kozhikode in Kerala and split into two. Of the 190 people on board, 21, including two pilots, lost their lives.

Eyewitnesses in Ahmedabad said the blaze was so intense that it led to at least one multi-storey building being burnt and trees being singed.

Airport operations in the city were temporarily suspended.

"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.

"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," he added.

Modi also 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.

The ill-fated flight was under the command of Capt Sumeet Sabharwal along with First Officer Clive Kundar. While Sabharwal has 8,200 hours of flying experience, Kundar 1,100 hours, the DGCA said in a statement.

Immediately after departure from Runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter, it said.

“On Jun 12, 2025, Air India B787 Aircraft VT-ANB while operating flight AI-171 from (Ahmedabad to Gatwick) has crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad," the statement said, adding that they were 242 persons on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew.

Visuals from the area showed mangled metal of the wreckage, snarls of tangled wire and smoke rising from the charred remnants.

Aviation sources said the aircraft climbed just about 600-800 feet before it plummeted to the ground.

“The plane was flying very low and it crashed into the residential quarters of doctors and nursing staff of civil hospital and BJ Medical college,” Haresh Shah, an eyewitness, told PTI.

“There are several five floor buildings which are residential quarters of doctors and nursing staff. Many people in those apartments were injured as along with the plane the buildings also caught fire,” he said.

Another eyewitness said several cars and vehicles parked in the premises also caught fire.

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.

Boeing said in a statement that it was aware of the "initial reports" of the crash and is working to gather more information.

Thursday’s tragedy is the second major 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.