Many killed as Air India flight crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad

People gather near the site where an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave

AHMEDABAD, India, June 11 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – An Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing “many people,” India’s federal health minister confirmed, as emergency crews worked to recover bodies and rescue survivors from the wreckage near the airport.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport when it went down in a civilian area near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in western India. The aircraft issued a Mayday call shortly after departing at 1:39 p.m. local time (0809 GMT), but air traffic control received no further response, officials said.

Local police confirmed the aircraft crashed into a residential building housing a doctors’ hostel. “We have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer told reporters at the scene.

Air India said the aircraft was carrying 217 adults, 11 children, and 14 crew members. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, the airline said.

Eyewitness footage broadcast on Indian television showed the aircraft disappearing behind buildings before a large fireball erupted. Images from the crash site showed smoldering wreckage, thick plumes of black smoke, and victims being stretchered to ambulances.

In a statement on social media platform X, Air India said, “At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates. The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.”

Aircraft tracking service Flightradar24 said the last signal from the aircraft was received just seconds after departure. The plane, with registration VT-ANB, was one of Air India’s fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and was working to gather more information. Shares in Boeing Co. (BA.N) fell 6.8% in pre-market trading to $199.13.

British authorities said they were in contact with Indian officials to clarify the situation and provide consular assistance. “We are working urgently to establish the facts,” the U.K. Foreign Office said in a statement.

India’s aviation ministry said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed all relevant agencies to support ongoing rescue efforts. Ahmedabad, the largest city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, suspended all flight operations following the incident.

Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group which operates the airport, posted on X, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171. Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss.”

Tata Group, which acquired Air India in 2022 and later merged it with Vistara in 2024, said an emergency center and support team had been activated to assist families.

The last fatal commercial airline crash in India occurred in 2020, when an Air India Express flight overshot a runway in Kozhikode, killing 21 people.