British man survives Gatwick-bound Ahmedabad plane crash

The Herald Scotland

a day ago

The Hindustan Times said 40-year-old British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived the crash, telling the newspaper: 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.'
A video of the crash circulating online showed the aircraft flying over a residential area before disappearing behind trees, followed by a huge explosion and large plumes of black smoke.
The public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives, Downing Street said.
Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into BJ Medical College as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke.
Pieces of the aircraft's landing gear, fuselage and tail could all be seen protruding from the building.
Officials said the flight was departing from Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Air India said on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.
We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171.
No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured.
Tata Group will…
— Tata Group (@TataCompanies) June 12, 2025
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of those who were killed in the crash.
The company said it would also cover the medical costs of those injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college the plane crashed into.
Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, told AP at least five medical students had been killed and around 50 were injured after the plane collided with the college.
Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed his 'deep sorrow' after the incident, adding: 'This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.'
(PA Graphics)
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
The King said he was 'desperately shocked' by the incident and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated on the developing situation.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the crash was 'devastating', while his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said it was 'heartbreaking beyond words'.
Asked if people should prepare for a significant loss of life, a Downing Street spokesman told reporters: 'Yes.
'As the PM said this morning, the scenes emerging of the London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city at Ahmedabad are devastating.
'Clearly this is a deeply distressing time for families. The situation is still unfolding.'
Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and a 'devastating event', and said emergency response teams are at the site.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
Search and rescue teams attended the scene in Ahmedabad (Ajit Solanki/AP)
The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight.
Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers on board the Air India flight.
It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Flightradar24 said flight tracking data shows after taking off, the plane reached a maximum altitude of 625ft, which is about 425ft above the airport.
It then started to descend at a rate of 475 feet per minute.
A message from His Majesty The King following this morning's tragic incident in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/H5zb6KlNnf
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 12, 2025
Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses.
The airline's UK operations are at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
It started operating flights to Gatwick in March 2023, with 12 weekly departures and five weekly departures to Ahmedabad.
Gatwick said there was no impact on wider flight operations at the airport, but a Thursday evening flight to Goa had been cancelled.
Recent analysis by the PA news agency found it was the worst airline for delays to flights from UK airports last year, with planes taking off by an average of more than 45 minutes later than scheduled.
The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight (Ajit Solanki/AP)
The airline has gained a poor reputation for delays and cancellations in recent years, partly caused by a lack of funds to purchase spare aircraft parts, which led to some of its fleet being grounded.
The first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft involved in the crash was in December 2013.
The plane was delivered to Air India during the following month.
The FCDO said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.