The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick with 242 passengers and crew, went down moments after takeoff.
Flight AI171 departed Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 10:08AM local time.
Within less than a minute, its transponder signal vanished at just 625 feet above ground, and the plane slammed into a residential building used as accommodation for doctors.
According to Air India, the plane carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese passengers. Among the 242 onboard were 217 adults and 11 children, per Reuters.
The aircraft’s violent descent left a sprawling field of wreckage and a plume of black smoke rising over the city.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed the shocking development, telling India Today: “The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area.”
That survivor is British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who has lived in London for 20 years. Footage reportedly shows him walking away from the inferno moments after the crash.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Ramesh recalled the horror: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” he said.
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Ramesh sustained ‘impact injuries’ to his chest, eyes, and feet but remains in stable condition.
Global leaders have reacted swiftly and emotionally to the tragedy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “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.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the grief: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
Sources confirm that King Charles has also been kept informed of the ongoing situation.
As investigations begin and families brace for news, the survival of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh offers a rare sliver of hope amid the heartbreak.