An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in western India on Thursday (June 12). The aircraft was carrying 242 people, and as of Thursday evening, only one surviving passenger had been found, with fears that all other passengers may have perished. Indian police stated that, including nearby residents impacted by the ground collision, the accident has resulted in at least 290 deaths. Reports indicate the aircraft issued a distress signal shortly after takeoff, and Indian authorities have demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
The crashed aircraft was Air India Flight AI 171, which departed from Runway 23 at Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, western India, at 1:38 PM local time (4:08 PM Hong Kong time) on Tuesday, originally bound for London Gatwick Airport. Data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that seconds after takeoff, the flight sent a "Mayday" distress signal to air traffic control, but subsequently, there was no further response from the flight. The aircraft's signal disappeared at an altitude of approximately 190 meters before crashing into a residential area near the airport.
Most passengers were Indian and British citizens
According to Air India data cited by the BBC, the aircraft carried two pilots and 10 crew members. Among the 230 passengers, there were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, 1 Canadian citizen, and 7 Portuguese citizens. A passenger list on Indian social media reportedly included former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The captain of the crashed flight had approximately 8,200 hours of flight experience, while the first officer had about 1,100 hours.
The crashed aircraft, registration number VT-ANB, was approximately 11 years old and regularly operated routes between India and destinations including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. Gatwick Airport confirmed that the flight was originally scheduled to land at the airport at 6:25 PM local time. Ahmedabad Airport was immediately closed following the incident, with all flights suspended.
Extensive damage to buildings
A BBC reporter at the scene stated that multiple witnesses saw the aircraft flying unstably after takeoff before suddenly crashing to the ground with a loud explosion, followed by thick black smoke. The site was scattered with aircraft wreckage, with numerous trees and buildings charred and emitting a pungent odor. Local fire departments urgently extinguished the flames, and victims' bodies were gradually removed.
The office of the Civil Aviation Minister stated that Prime Minister Modi had ordered all relevant agencies to remain on high alert and coordinate rescue efforts. Authorities in Gujarat have launched rescue operations.
Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran expressed condolences to the families of all victims and sympathy for the injured, stating that the airline had established an emergency support center to assist with the investigation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro also extended condolences to the families of all victims.
The last Air India crash occurred in August 2020, when a Boeing 737-800 operated by its budget subsidiary Air India Express overshot the runway while landing at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India due to severe weather, resulting in 21 fatalities.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; English Editor: Darius)
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