Air India: Charred bodies on the ground as plane carrying 242 passengers crashes, no survivors
A plane bound for London, U.K., and carrying more than 200 people crashed on Thursday, Air India said. Officials say there are no survivors.
Passengers include 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals, the airline said in a statement . “Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident,” it added.
“It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash,” Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told The Associated Press. “As the plane has fallen in a residential area which also had offices, some locals would have also died. Exact figures on casualties are being ascertained.” Videos and photos circulating online showed charred bodies on the ground as one was carried away on a stretcher by the paramedics.
The plane, reportedly a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed five minutes after take-off at a residential area in Ahmedabad, a city in India with a population estimated to be over five million people. It was bound for London Gatwick Airport. On X, it posted that the airport “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.”
Police told news agency ANI that the plane crashed midday shortly after take-off into a doctors’ hostel, BBC reports.
X user Brian Krassenstein shared footage of the crash on the social media site. “Please pray for these people,” he posted early on Thursday morning.
BREAKING: Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner Crashes After Takeoff
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) June 12, 2025
- Air India Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick
- Passengers/Crew: 242 onboard
- Crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India
- Reached 625 feet, then descended at -475 ft/min (FlightRadar24)
- Boeing… pic.twitter.com/hnOddIVPeK
Carney, Modi, Putin expresses condolences
The tragedy “is heartbreaking beyond words,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X . “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”
British PM Keir Starmer described the scenes emerging from the crash as “devastating.” Starmer wrote on X , “I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
PM Mark Carney said he is receiving regular updates as this tragedy unfolds and that Canada’s transportation officials are in close contact with counterparts. “Devastated to learn of the crash of a London-bound Air India plane in Ahmedabad, carrying 242 passengers — including one Canadian . My thoughts are with the loved ones of everyone on board,” he said on X .
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a letter posted on the Kremlin’s website, wished a speedy recovery to the injured. “Please convey my sincere sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims,” Putin wrote, AP reports.
The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 12, 2025
King Charles and Queen Camilla on social media shared “special prayers and deepest possible sympathy” with families and friends of those affected. “I would like to pay a particular tribute to the heroic efforts of the emergency services and all those providing help and support at this most heartbreaking and traumatic time,” King Charles added in a statement.
Boeing shares take a hit after plane crash in India
The plane that crashed was reportedly a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the company’s “bestselling passenger widebody of all time,” according to Boeing , and one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service, per Flightradar24, an aviation tracking site.
Boeing said in a statement that it was aware of the initial reports of the crash, “and are working to gather more information.”
The shares of the company “tumbled as much as 9% before trading opened in the U.S.,” AP reports.
Operations at India’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were suspended until further notice. Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X : “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.”
History of recent crashes in India
Here’s a brief look at the nation’s high-profile crashes in the recent past:
2020: The crash in the Indian state of Kerala claimed the lives of 21 people after an Air India Express “overshot the tabletop runway during landing” amid heavy rains, Times of India reports.
2010: A tragedy claiming the lives of 158 people took place after an Air India Express flight crashed after overshooting the runway in India, Deccan Herald reports .
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