Ahmedabad plane crash: 241 people onboard Air India flight dead, only one survivor

New Delhi [India], June 13 (ANI): A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, have died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday.
The passenger plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off on Thursday. Miraculously, one person has survived the deadly crash, the airline authorities said, adding that the survivor was a British national of Indian origin.
"The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital, Air India posted on X.
The flight, which was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
The Tata group-owned airline has set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information. Those calling from outside India can call +91 8062779200.
Air India has also deployed a team of caregivers in Ahmedabad to provide additional support and is cooperating with government authorities probing the incident.
"Regular updates will continue on Air India's X handle (https://x.com/airindia) and on http://airindia.com as further information comes to hand," the airline said.
Air India has also requested media persons not to call the dedicated passenger hotline number.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.
Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. An official said heavy black smoke was coming from the accident site.
The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash.
"Tata Group will provide Rs 1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical's hostel," N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said in a post on X.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu assured that a fair and thorough investigation would be conducted to uncover the cause of the tragic incident.
"We are going to do a fair & thorough investigation, and probe why this incident happened. We still have to find out the numbers. We will go into depth about why this incident happened," Naidu told the media.
The Gujarat government has mobilised three National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, comprising 90 personnel from Gandhinagar, to aid in ongoing rescue operations. (ANI)