In one of India’s deadliest air disasters in recent years, an Air India plane bound for London crashed just seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing most of the 242 people on board and several more on the ground.
The plane, Flight AI171, lost contact with air traffic control just moments after departure, with the tracking website Flightradar24 confirming its last signal was received at an altitude of 625 feet (190 metres).
The plane plunged into a densely populated residential compound used as accommodation for doctors, igniting a massive fireball and causing widespread destruction.
Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik confirmed to the BBC that 204 bodies have so far been recovered from the wreckage.
“We fear both passengers and local residents are among the dead,” Malik said. “It is one of the most painful scenes our rescue teams have witnessed.”
Air India stated that 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew members, and two pilots were aboard. The airline provided a breakdown of nationalities: 169 Indian citizens, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian were on the flight.
Authorities are yet to confirm how many of the deceased were onboard or caught in the crash on the ground.
Among the impacted locals were dozens of medical students living in the doctors’ hostel struck by the aircraft.
According to the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), 50 to 60 students were rushed to hospitals, five remain missing, and two are in intensive care.
One survivor, the mother of a student, described how her son narrowly escaped by leaping from a second-floor window. “It was sheer instinct that saved him,” she told reporters, still shaken.
Local politician Darshna Vaghela, who was nearby when the crash occurred, said she heard a loud explosion and witnessed scenes of chaos and heroism as residents and responders rushed to save those trapped.
“We rescued many doctors from their damaged flats,” she recounted.
Emergency services worked through the smouldering wreckage for hours. Despite valiant rescue efforts, officials now believe there are no survivors from the aircraft itself.
The impact of the crash reverberated far beyond India.
In Britain, King Charles and Queen Camilla released a statement expressing their deep sorrow.
“We are desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad,” the King said.
“Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” by the tragedy, while Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro offered condolences and solidarity to the victims’ families.
India’s Aviation Ministry has resumed flights at Ahmedabad airport, stressing that “all flight safety protocols are being followed with utmost care.”
However, the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Experts are examining black box data and cockpit recordings in an effort to piece together what went wrong during those critical seconds after take-off
