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

On June 12, 2025, the world was shocked by news of the tragic 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 for 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 Department of Civil Aviation, 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 circulated on social media captured the moment the plane went down, and images from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage, particularly from a building used as a hospital for doctors.

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

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff.

How many people died?

The tragedy has caused heavy loss of life. The Ahmedabad Police Chief initially said 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 small ray of hope emerged when news agency ANI reported that one survivor had been found on board and another was being treated in hospital for injuries. One of the survivors was Ramesh Vishwaskumar, a British national who was sitting in seat 11A.

The passenger in seat 11A miraculously survived.

Rescuers at the scene have recovered at least 204 bodies. Among those on board were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is also believed to be among the passengers.

Police said many local residents may also have died, but the exact number of casualties is still being determined.

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

Initial predicted cause

As for the initial cause, a former pilot theorized that the crash could have been the result of a “multiple bird strike”, a common incident in aviation, resulting in a sudden loss of power in both engines.

The former pilot, Saurabh Bhatnagar, said that although the takeoff went “perfectly”, the plane began to descend just before the landing gear was retracted, suggesting a loss of engine power or lift. Aviation safety experts also stressed that takeoff and landing are the most dangerous phases of a flight, and that the incident occurred so suddenly at such a low altitude was surprising.

Catastrophic images on the ground when the plane crashed

Weather conditions at the airport at the time of the accident were described as favorable: a dry, sunny day with temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius, good visibility and a light westerly wind. There was no indication that turbulence or poor weather conditions played a role in the accident.

The flight crew was assessed as experienced, including Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 flight hours and First Officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 flight hours.

Immediately after the crash, images and videos from the scene showed thick black smoke, large debris and flames. Fire and rescue teams were quickly deployed to contain the fire, evacuate and cordon off the area. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport was closed for about three hours after the incident before services resumed.

The response from authorities and airlines has been swift. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed his shock and grief, pledging to personally oversee the response and ensure that all efforts are made to provide medical aid and relief assistance to the site. The Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced compensation of Rs 10 million (over $140,000) for each victim’s family. Air India has also activated its emergency centre and set up dedicated hotlines to provide information and support to the families of those affected.

The crash will be thoroughly investigated by India’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch is also likely to be involved, given the large number of British nationals on board the ill-fated flight.

This is the first crash involving the Boeing 787, a highly regarded model, since its introduction, according to the Aviation Safety Network 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. The aircraft is highly regarded for its much better fuel efficiency and lower noise level than the aircraft it replaces.