An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, killing at least 265 people, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew, collided with a hostel at B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of five MBBS students, a resident doctor, and a doctor’s wife, with over 60 students injured. A sole survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was rescued and is under treatment, while the aircraft’s black box has been recovered for investigation.
The crash, which occurred minutes after a MAYDAY call, caused a massive fire and scattered debris near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “heartbreaking,” directing Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to oversee rescue operations. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel deployed six NDRF teams, and Ahmedabad airport suspended operations temporarily. Air India and the Tata Group offered condolences and compensation, with helplines established for victims’ families.
#WATCH | #AirIndiaPlaneCrash | Visuals from the site where the AI-171 plane carrying 242 passengers (including crew members) crashed yesterday.
241 of 242 who were onboard lost their lives in the tragedy. pic.twitter.com/NM0rAhuoey— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, alongside teams from Boeing, the UK’s AAIB, and the US NTSB, is investigating the cause of India’s deadliest aviation disaster in years. The victims included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Global leaders, including King Charles III, UK PM Keir Starmer, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed condolences. The Tata Group announced Rs 1 crore per victim, with additional compensation under the Montreal Convention.