A passenger plane bound for London tragically crashed moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad, India, sending shockwaves around the world. The Air India Boeing 787-8, carrying 242 souls, was seen flying unusually low over a crowded residential neighborhood before it slammed into the ground and erupted into a massive fireball.
Dramatic footage captured the harrowing scene as thick columns of smoke billowed over Meghani Nagar, a densely populated area just outside Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat. The sudden loss of communication with the aircraft, confirmed by flight tracking site Flightradar24 and reported by Sky News, heightened fears immediately. Emergency responders sprang into action within seconds, rushing to the fiery wreckage in a desperate bid to save lives.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu addressed the nation with urgency: “I am personally monitoring this tragic situation and have ordered all aviation and emergency agencies to act swiftly and in full coordination. Rescue teams have been deployed, and every effort is underway to provide immediate medical aid and relief. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on board and their families.”
Early police reports painted a grim picture with no survivors found, yet hope flickered as Ahmedabad’s police commissioner, G.S. Malik, cautioned that rescue teams were still searching thoroughly and survivors could exist.
Among the fortunate is 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national who miraculously survived. Unverified videos show Ramesh, believed to have been seated in 11A, speaking with locals about the terrifying moments. “About thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud bang — then the plane crashed. It all happened so fast,” he recounted.
A local doctor, known only as Krishna, described the devastation: “Half of the plane struck the residential building where many doctors and their families live. The nose and front wheel crashed onto the canteen building where students were having lunch.”
London’s Gatwick Airport confirmed the flight’s tragic itinerary, stating: “Flight AI171 departed Ahmedabad and was scheduled to land at London Gatwick at 18:25.”
Aviation expert Julian Bray told the Daily Mail, “This is a major incident involving a Boeing Dreamliner, a cutting-edge aircraft. It’s unclear if evacuation was successful. If the emergency slides deployed, passengers could have escaped within 90 seconds. Fire crews are on site, but this is a devastating event. While we cannot rule out security issues, that remains speculation at this stage.”
Meanwhile, Jason Knight, a senior fluid mechanics lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, offered insight into possible causes: “The plane is designed to handle single-engine flight, so a double engine failure is the most likely culprit, often caused by a bird strike.”
As the investigation continues, the world watches and waits, mourning those lost and hoping for more survivors amid the tragedy that unfolded over Ahmedabad.
