The Crossbill Team
An Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on Wednesday, June 12, with 242 people on board.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the incident, stating that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost contact with air traffic control less than a minute after departure, following a distress call.
Flight AI171 was en route to London Gatwick and had taken off at around 9:50 a.m. IST. According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft lost signal at 10:08 a.m. when it was at an altitude of just 625 feet.
The DGCA said the aircraft, commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, crashed immediately after takeoff. Onboard were two pilots, 10 cabin crew members, and 230 passengers.
Initial visuals from the crash site in the Dharpur area near Meghani Nagar showed thick plumes of smoke rising above a densely populated residential zone, with some reports placing the crash near the Forensic Cross Road. Other reports indicated that the plane crashed directly onto the mess of the BJ Medical College undergraduate hostel in Meghani Nagar.
While authorities have not yet released a complete passenger manifest, reports suggest that former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani may have been among the passengers.
Air India released a brief statement acknowledging the crash: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.”
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel stated that a green corridor has been set up to expedite the transfer of injured passengers to medical facilities.
He also confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had extended support, assuring the deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and central assistance.
“Home minister Amit Shah also communicated with me and assured full help of NDRF teams and Central Government for rescue and relief operations in this plane crash,” Patel wrote on X.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash.
In a statement posted on social media, he said he was personally monitoring the situation and had instructed all relevant agencies to carry out a swift and coordinated response.
“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he said, expressing his condolences to the victims and their families.
Rescue and relief operations were underway at the time of reporting, with both state and central authorities engaged in emergency response.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the incident, stating that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost contact with air traffic control less than a minute after departure, following a distress call.
Flight AI171 was en route to London Gatwick and had taken off at around 9:50 a.m. IST. According to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24, the aircraft lost signal at 10:08 a.m. when it was at an altitude of just 625 feet.
The DGCA said the aircraft, commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, crashed immediately after takeoff. Onboard were two pilots, 10 cabin crew members, and 230 passengers.
Initial visuals from the crash site in the Dharpur area near Meghani Nagar showed thick plumes of smoke rising above a densely populated residential zone, with some reports placing the crash near the Forensic Cross Road. Other reports indicated that the plane crashed directly onto the mess of the BJ Medical College undergraduate hostel in Meghani Nagar.
VIDEO | Ahmedabad: Smoke seen emanating from airport premises. More details are awaited.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/qbO486KoEo
While authorities have not yet released a complete passenger manifest, reports suggest that former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani may have been among the passengers.
Air India released a brief statement acknowledging the crash: “Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest.”
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel stated that a green corridor has been set up to expedite the transfer of injured passengers to medical facilities.
He also confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had extended support, assuring the deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and central assistance.
“Home minister Amit Shah also communicated with me and assured full help of NDRF teams and Central Government for rescue and relief operations in this plane crash,” Patel wrote on X.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” by the crash.
In a statement posted on social media, he said he was personally monitoring the situation and had instructed all relevant agencies to carry out a swift and coordinated response.
“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action. Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site,” he said, expressing his condolences to the victims and their families.
Rescue and relief operations were underway at the time of reporting, with both state and central authorities engaged in emergency response.
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