265 Dead in India’s Worst Air Disaster as Air India Jet Crashes Into Hostel
AHMEDABAD, India — June 13, 2025 — An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff on Thursday, killing at least 265 people, including passengers, crew, and individuals on the ground. One passenger has miraculously survived.
The aircraft, Flight 171, was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, en route to London Gatwick Airport. The jet crashed into a medical hostel, igniting a fireball that engulfed buildings and claimed dozens of lives.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts Continue
Rescue teams and sniffer dogs worked through the night, pulling bodies from the charred debris. Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai confirmed 265 bodies had been recovered, suggesting at least two dozen deaths occurred on the ground.
A survivor, identified as 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities are still determining how he escaped the wreckage.
Witness Accounts Paint Grim Picture
Eyewitnesses described a catastrophic scene.
“One half of the plane crashed into a residential building where doctors lived with families,” said a doctor named Krishna. “The nose and front wheel landed on the canteen where students were having lunch.”
Krishna said he saw 15–20 burned bodies and helped rescue several students.
Aircraft and Passenger Details
India’s civil aviation authority confirmed the presence of two pilots and ten cabin crew among the passengers. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with the government launching a formal probe.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, calling the incident “heartbreaking beyond words.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the crash as “devastating,” while King Charles III said he was “desperately shocked.”
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed he had spoken to the sole survivor and praised the rescue efforts.
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