The tragic accident that killed more than 200 people is in the spotlight of global media.

On June 12, 2025, the world was shaken by the news of the catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India.

What happened?

The plane, destined to fly to London Gatwick, was carrying a total of 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. This figure was confirmed by the airline, although some initial reports from Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority, mentioned 244 people on board.

The incident occurred at around 2 p.m. local time, just five minutes after the plane took off. Instead of continuing its journey, the Dreamliner crashed into the Meghani Nagar residential area. Terrifying footage circulating on social media captured the moment the plane plunged, and images from the scene showed thick columns of black smoke rising from the rubble, especially from a building used to house local hospital doctors.

Shortly after takeoff, the plane sent a “MAYDAY” signal to air traffic control at about 13:39 (local time), just 1 minute after leaving the runway. According to data from Flightradar24, the plane’s signal was lost when it only reached an altitude of about 190 meters, or 250 meters according to other sources, before plunging just outside the airport perimeter.

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff

How many people were killed?

This tragedy caused heavy loss of life. The Ahmedabad police chief initially said that there appeared to be no survivors from the plane and that there were more casualties on the ground as the plane crashed into a residential area. However, a glimmer of hope emerged when the ANI news agency reported that one survivor was found on the plane and another person was being treated in hospital for injuries. One of the survivors was Ramesh Vishwaskumar, a British citizen sitting in seat 11A.

Passengers in seat 11A miraculously survived

Rescuers at the scene found at least 204 bodies of the unfortunate victims. Among those on board, there were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, 7 Portuguese and one Canadian. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani is also said to be on the list of passengers in distress.

Police said many locals may have also been killed, but the exact number of casualties is still being determined.

Relatives of the victims have been asked to provide DNA samples to aid in identification, according to state health official Dhananjay Dwivedi.

Initial Predicted Cause

As for the original cause, a former pilot theorized that the crash may have been the result of “multiple bird collisions”, a common occurrence in aviation, which resulted in a sudden blackout of both engines.

Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former pilot, said that although the takeoff was “perfect”, the plane began to descend in altitude just before the landing gear was retracted, suggesting the possibility of engine power loss or lift loss. Aviation safety experts also emphasize that take-off and landing are the most dangerous phases of flight, and that incidents that occur suddenly at low altitudes are surprising.

Catastrophic images on the ground when the plane crashed

The weather conditions at the airport at the time of the accident were described as favorable: a dry, sunny day with temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius, good visibility and light winds from the west. There was no indication that disturbances or bad weather conditions played a role in this accident.

The flight crew is considered experienced, including Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 flight hours and Co-Captain Clive Kundar with 1,100 flight hours.

Immediately after the accident, images and videos from the scene showed a scene of dense black smoke, large debris and flames. Fire and rescue forces were quickly deployed to control the fire, evacuate and zone the area. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport had to suspend operations for about three hours after the incident before services were resumed.

The response from authorities and airlines at all levels has been swift. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed deep shock and grief, pledging to personally oversee the response and ensure all efforts are made to provide medical aid and relief assistance to the scene. Tata Group, the owner of Air India, has announced a compensation of 10 million rupees (more than 3 billion VND) to the families of each victim. Air India has also activated emergency centres and set up dedicated hotlines to provide information and support to relatives of those in distress.

The crash will be thoroughly investigated by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, and the British Air Accident Investigation Branch is also likely to be involved, given the large number of British citizens on board the fateful flight.

This is the first accident involving the Boeing 787, a highly regarded model, since it was introduced, according to the Aviation Safety Network’s database.

This is the first accident involving the Boeing 787, a highly regarded aircraft model

The 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body, twin-engine aircraft introduced in 2011. According to Flightradar24, more than 1,000 have been delivered to dozens of airlines. This model is highly regarded for its much better fuel efficiency and lower noise than the types it replaces.