More than 200 people are feared dead after an Air India flight bound for London Gatwick carrying 242 passengers crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad shortly after take-off .
Flight AI171 was bound for Gatwick when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed. The 242 people on board included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said.
Local police chief GS Malik later the BBC that 204 bodies had been recovered from the scene of the crash, while 41 were injured and being treated in hospital.
Indian PM Narendra Modi said the crash was “heartbreaking”, while Sir Keir Starmer described the scenes as “devastating”.
Pictures from the scene show a large plume of smoke following the crash, with emergency services currently at the scene.
It is believed the plane came down just minutes after departing Ahmedabad airport and crashed onto a hostel for doctors, where it has been reported at least 30 bodies have been recovered.
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Two people are believed to have survived the Air India crash. (Alamy)
Two people have been found alive following the Air India plane crash, Reuters reported.
Police have found one survivor from the flight, with another found in the hospital and under treatment, according to the Ani news agency.
People look at the debris of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. (Alamy)
An eyewitness has spoken about the shocking scenes he witnessed when the Air India flight crashed.
He wore a surgical mask during the translated interview that aired on BBC News.
Smoke appeared to billow behind him and people in military uniform and masks could be seen walking around.
The man, who was not named, told BBC News: “I was sitting at home, there was a loud noise, it felt like an earthquake.”
“I came out and saw smoke, I didn’t realise it was a plane crash, then I came here and I found out and I saw the crashed plane – there were many bodies lying on the ground.”
The Air India flight that crashed as a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Alamy)
More than 200 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is one of the most advanced jets in service and experts say it has a generally strong safety record, with no previous fatal accidents, according to Reuters.
Boeing said it was aware of initial reports and working to gather more information.
The 787-8 aircraft involved in Thursday’s accident was delivered in 2014 and is the smallest of three variants.
The 787-8 typically holds 248 passengers and the larger and longer-range 787-9 carries 296 people.
The largest variant, the 787-10, which also has the smallest range, has 336 seats, according to Boeing data.
Randhir Jaiswal, pictured in 2022, said the incident was a ‘tragic accident’. (Getty)
A spokesperson for India’s external affairs ministry said “we have lost a lot of people”.
Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing: “What has happened in Ahmedabad is a very tragic accident. We have lost a lot of people.
“We extend our deepest condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones.
“There are, I understand, several foreigners also.”
Gatwick airport is setting up a reception centre for relatives of passengers on board the Air India flight.
The airport’s social media said: “London Gatwick is liaising closely with Air India and a reception centre for relatives of those on board is being set up where information and support will be provided.
“British nationals who require consular assistance or have concerns about friends or family should call 020 7008 5000.”
We can confirm flight AI171 that was involved in an accident on departure from Ahmedabad Airport today (12 June) was due to land at London Gatwick at 18:25 BST.
The Boeing 787-8 aircraft had 242 passengers and crew members on board.
London Gatwick is liaising closely with Air… pic.twitter.com/QDXfF6t8S9
— London Gatwick LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) June 12, 2025
There are believed to be no survivors from the Air India flight that crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off today.
City police commissioner G.S. Malik told the Associated Press: “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash”, adding that “some locals would have also died” as the plane crashed in a residential area.
“Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained,” he said.
Emergency personnel work around a damaged building where an Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, in this still image taken from video. (ANI/Reuters TV)
An Air India plane, flight AI171 with more than 200 people on board, crashed minutes after taking off from India’s western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said.
India’s federal health minister said that “many people” were killed, according to Reuters…
Officials say 242 people, including passengers and crew members, were on the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian.
Read more from USA Today.
A London-Gatwick bound plane carrying 242 passengers and crew has crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad. The crash happened in a residential area, onto a hostel for doctors. Local media reported that at least 30 bodies had been recovered from the scene, while India’s health ministry said “many” people had been killed.