On Thursday, June 12th, an Air India flight headed to London crashed shortly after leaving Ahmedabad International Airport, leaving more than 200 people dead and dozens injured.
The Boeing 787-8 took off at 1:38 p.m. local time but lost contact within a minute at an altitude of just 625 feet. The aircraft crashed into a hostel near BJ Medical College, causing additional casualties among those on the ground.
Authorities say 242 people were onboard, including 12 crew members. Emergency services recovered over 200 bodies and transported the wounded to area hospitals. At least five medical students in the hostel were killed, and nearly 50 others were hurt. Some residents are still missing.
Early reports conflicted on survival. While police initially saw no signs of life, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson later confirmed some passengers were hospitalized. One survivor, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, described a sudden noise seconds after takeoff before the impact. His brother, also a passenger, remains unaccounted for.
The airline listed 169 Indian nationals among the passengers, along with 53 from the UK, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian. Air India and its parent company, the Tata Group, announced financial assistance of 10 million rupees (approximately $117,000) to the families of the deceased.
Boeing has acknowledged the incident and is supporting the ongoing investigation. U.S. and UK aviation safety teams are assisting Indian authorities as the cause of the crash remains undetermined.
