The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operating as Flight AI171, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick, with 242 passengers and crew aboard. The flight departed at 10:08 AM local time, but within less than a minute, its transponder signal disappeared at an altitude of just 625 feet. The aircraft plummeted into a residential building used to house medical personnel.
Among those on board were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese, including 217 adults and 11 children. The crash site erupted in smoke and flames, leaving behind a devastating trail of wreckage.
Police confirmed the discovery of one survivor: British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Miraculously, he was found alive and taken to a nearby hospital. Ramesh, who has lived in London for 20 years, described the terrifying moment: “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed.”
Ramesh suffered injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet, but is reported to be in stable condition. Authorities have yet to confirm the full death toll, fearing it may rise.
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.”
Credit: Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images
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.
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