Air India Plane Crashes in Ahmedabad, Killing Over 240, One Survivor Confirmed

13 June 2025

By Charity Chikara

At least 240 people have been confirmed dead after an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, western India, shortly after takeoff on Thursday.

Authorities say one passenger survived the crash, making it one of the worst air disasters in India in decades.

The plane, en route to London Gatwick Airport, went down five minutes after departing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m. local time, crashing into a multistory hostel and surrounding buildings in Meghani Nagar.

“This is one of the darkest days in our aviation history,” said Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police official in the state.

“Most of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition.”

Among the dead are medical students who were in a nearby college hostel struck by the aircraft. At least five students were confirmed killed, and 50 others were injured, according to Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association. “Some are in critical condition and many more are feared buried in the debris,” he said.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the lone survivor and said he had visited him in hospital. The survivor was identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh.

“He was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body,” said Dr. Dhaval Gameti, the attending physician.

“But he seems to be out of danger.”

Video footage shared on social media shows the plane descending abnormally low before disappearing behind houses, followed by a massive explosion. Parts of the aircraft, including the tail cone, were later found lodged in the top floors of nearby buildings.

This is the first recorded crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model introduced in 2009. The aircraft type has a strong safety record, with over 1,000 delivered globally. Boeing issued a brief statement saying it is “working to gather more information.”

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the flight crew issued a mayday call before losing contact with air traffic control.

“This will be a complex investigation,” said John M. Cox, a former pilot and aviation safety consultant. “The 787 has extensive flight data monitoring, and once the recorders are recovered, investigators should know quickly what went wrong.”

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said, “Our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families.”

Emergency teams from the Indian Army, local firefighters, and disaster response units continue to work at the scene, clearing debris and searching for possible survivors.