A London-bound Air India flight crashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing at least 260 people, including passengers, crew, and residents on the ground — but authorities say one person miraculously survived.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, including 169 Indians and 53 Britons, issued a mayday call shortly after takeoff before plummeting into a densely populated neighborhood, slamming into a hostel for medical staff and a student canteen.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw the charred wreckage of the aircraft, with the plane’s rear hanging off a building and thick black smoke rising above scorched homes. Dozens of bodies were recovered as rescue workers and sniffer dogs combed the debris overnight.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief, calling the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words.” The Indian government has launched a formal investigation, and the UK and US air accident investigation teams are supporting the probe.
One survivor
Initially feared to have no survivors, authorities confirmed that one passenger — identified as 40-year-old British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh — had been found alive and was hospitalized.
“I have no idea how I exited the plane,” his brother quoted him as saying, according to Britain’s Press Association. Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the survivor was stable and conscious after visiting him.
Residential horror
Police commissioner Vidhi Chaudhary confirmed the death toll had reached 260, including at least 19 victims on the ground. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation.
“One half of the plane crashed into the doctors’ residence, and the front section hit the student canteen during lunch,” said Krishna, a local doctor. He and colleagues pulled around 15 students from the wreckage.
Footage from the site showed buildings ablaze, bodies being loaded into ambulances, and twisted metal scattered across the street.
Global reaction and compensation
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the crash as “devastating,” while King Charles III said he was “desperately shocked.” Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, said it was in contact with Air India and stood ready to assist.
The crash marks the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, according to a source close to the investigation.
Tata Group, which owns Air India, pledged ₹10 million (about $117,000) in compensation to the families of each victim and offered to cover the medical costs of the injured.
India’s booming aviation sector has suffered deadly crashes in the past, including a 2010 disaster in Mangalore that killed 158 people. Experts warn it’s too early to determine the cause of Thursday’s crash, but some suspect a dual engine failure — possibly due to a bird strike — may be to blame.
Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat state with a population of over 8 million, remains in shock. The crash occurred in one of its busiest, most densely packed residential zones.
“This is one of the darkest days in our aviation history,” said a civil aviation ministry spokesperson. “We owe it to the victims and their families to find out exactly what went wrong.”
