An Air India flight bound for London with 242 people on board crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, June 12. Initial reports from authorities indicate that more than 290 people are feared dead, including passengers and individuals on the ground.

Thick black smoke engulfed the sky following the crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Images from the scene showed parts of the aircraft resting on a building, alongside scorched trees and fire-blackened structures, as first responders worked to contain the devastation. Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, told Reuters that “approximately 294” people had died.

Air India confirmed that the flight was carrying 242 individuals: 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national.

A sole survivor, identified as British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was in seat 11A, was reported by local police. He is currently receiving treatment for “impact injuries.” Ramesh told The Hindustan Times, “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.”

The aircraft impacted a doctors’ hostel belonging to the BJ Medical College and Hospital. At least 3 medical students were killed, according to Swapnil Bhalodia of the Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network in Gujarat, while between 50 and 60 medical students were admitted to local hospitals, with two or three in intensive care, as stated by the Federation of All India Medical Association.

Flight AI171, destined for London’s Gatwick Airport, departed at 1:39 p.m. local time (4:09 a.m. ET). India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reported that the plane made a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff, but no further response was received. FlightRadar24 data shows the aircraft’s signal was lost less than a minute after takeoff, at an altitude of 625 feet, before it began a rapid descent.

This incident marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered service in 2011. Boeing, which has over 1,175 Dreamliners in service globally conducting approximately 2,100 flights each day, issued a statement expressing condolences and pledging support to Air India. The company also confirmed that this aircraft, registered VT-ANB, was delivered to Air India in 2014 and had flown 39,450 hours across nearly 7,400 cycles. Air India operates 34 Boeing 787s.

The crash has drawn international attention and sympathy. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes as “devastating,” and his government has established crisis teams in Delhi and London to support affected British nationals and their families. UK’s King Charles and Queen Camilla expressed their shock and paid tribute to the emergency services.

The crash of Air India Flight 171 has made 2025 one of the deadliest years for civil aviation in the past decade. Globally, the number of civil aviation fatalities has surpassed 460 so far this year, significantly exceeding the decade-long average of 284, according to Jan-Arwed Richter, founder of German aviation safety firm Jacdec. Richter noted that while this rate is concerning, aviation remains the safest mode of transport, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the Ahmedabad tragedy.