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News18
4 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Ahmedabad Plane Crash LIVE: 265 Dead, Including Medical Students; PM Modi To Visit Crash Site Today
A devastating crash occurred when Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (VT-ANB), plummeted to the ground minutes after departing from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. The flight, destined for London Gatwick Airport (LGW), carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The tragic incident occurred around 1.39 pm local time (08.09 GMT). As many as 265 bodies have been brought to the city's civil hospital, which also includes the medical students, following the horrific crash, a police official said. Reports from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirm that the pilots issued a 'MAYDAY' call to air traffic control (ATC) shortly after takeoff, indicating an immediate and grave emergency. Tragically, the aircraft did not respond to subsequent calls from ATC. The devastating crash claimed numerous lives. Initially, Ahmedabad Police Chief GS Malik reported no survivors on board and confirmed ground casualties. However, amidst the tragedy, a miracle emerged: Ramesh Viswashkumar, approximately 40 years old, was confirmed as the sole survivor. Among the confirmed fatalities from the aircraft was Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat (2016-2021), who was reportedly en route to London to meet his family. Those on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as 'heartbreaking beyond words,' confirming that rescue and relief efforts were already in motion. The Prime Minister also pledged full government support for the victims' families, calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. He is expected to visit Ahmedabad on Friday.
Hans India
5 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Passenger on seat 11A survives crash
Ahmedabad: The horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad that had apparently left no survivors, has sprung a surprise. Within hours of their "No survivor" statement, the Ahmedabad police confirmed that one person has survived the crash. "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor is in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet," Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said. The passenger, who was on seat 11A, was seen walking around -- his white tee shirt and dark trousers barely scorched. The survivor is the 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh lying on a bed in the general ward of the Civil Hospital here. Vishwash said he was a British national and was in India for a few days to visit his family and was going back to the UK along with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh. 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' said Vishwash, who received 'impact injuries' on his chest, eyes and feet. Vishwash, who still had his boarding pass, said, 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Vishwash said he had lived in London for 20 years, adding that his wife and child too live in London. He said that his brother Ajay was seated in a different row on the plane. 'We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can't find him anymore. Please help me find him,' he said. Elsewhere in the hospital, family and friends of passengers on board the Air India plane looked for their kin. Among them were family members of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who also was on that flight. Sailesh Mandliya, who earlier assisted Rupani, was at the hospital looking for the former chief minister. 'We are looking for him. If you find out something, let me know,' Mandliya said.
The Star
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Death toll in Air India crash rises to over 290
A family member cries upon hearing the news of her brother who died when the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. - Photo: Reuters AHMEDABAD, (India): The death toll of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has risen to more than 290, a police officer tells Reuters. The authorities had warned earlier that there could be casualties on the ground too, with multiple buildings damaged and residents caught in the crash zone. Earlier, city police chief GS Malik said at least 204 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is said to have died in the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12). He was 68. Union Minister and Gujarat BJP president CR Patil said "Vijay Rupani was "among victims" in this incident. Vijay Rupani, the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat, was in office from August 2016 to September 2021. - File pic "Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going (to London) to meet his family. He is also a victim in this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a big loss for the BJP," said Patil. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed that Vijay Rupani was on the doomed plane. Rupani was married to Anjali Rupani, a social worker and philanthropist. The couple has one son. According to the seat chart, Vijay Rupani was on seat 2D of the Air India flight. He was on his way to London to meet his daughter. "We are going to do a fair and thorough investigation, and probe why this incident happened. We still have to find out the sad to know that (BJP leader) Vijay Rupani was also there, as were other nationals," said Ram Mohan. Vijay Rupani, the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat, was in office from August 2016 to September 2021. Known for his composed demeanour and firm administrative style, he steered Gujarat through a critical phase of post-Covid recovery. Rescuers work at the site of an Air India plane crash in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state on June12, 2025. - Photo: AP Separately, Air India managing director and chief executive officer Campbell Wilson, in an address posted on X, says a special team from Air India is on its way to provide additional support for those affected by the disaster. He says the airline will work round the clock to support passengers, crew and their families, as well as investigators. Air India has also announced two special relief flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Ahmedabad to assist the next of kin of passengers and airline employees affected by the AI171 crash. The airline says in a post on X that the flights would provide urgent support and access to those who need to reach Ahmedabad. Search and rescue teams respond to the scene of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. - Photo: AP Meanwhile, the British government said it will send a team to support the Air India crash investigations in Ahmedabad, which is believed to have killed more than 200 people. 'The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India. We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian led investigation,' it says, according to a statement carried by AFP. Tata Group chairman N. Chandrasekaran said the multinational conglomerate is 'deeply anguished' by the Air India Flight 171 tragedy, as he pledges support to those affected. In a statement on X, Chandrasekaran says the group will provide one crore rupees to the families of each person killed in the crash. At the scene of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. The Tata Group will also cover all medical expenses for those injured and ensure they receive the necessary care and support. The group will also assist in rebuilding the hostel at BJ Medical College, which was affected by the crash. 'No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment,' he says. 'We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time.' - Agencies
Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- General
- Qatar Tribune
Over 290 dead in Air India Plane Crash
More than 290 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The dead included people on the ground as the aircraft - headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital - crashed on to a medical college hostel during lunch hour. At least one passenger is known to have survived, police said, and the man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after take-off. 'Approximately 294 have died. This includes some students as the plane crashed on the building where they were staying,' Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, said. She said police found one survivor who was in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit, adding that there could be more survivors in hospital. Ahmedabad police chief GS Malik said the bodies recovered could include both passengers and people killed on the ground. The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source said. Air India said 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. It was the first crash for the Dreamliner. (Agencies) page 4
Observer
9 hours ago
- General
- Observer
Over 200 killed as Air India plane crashes
More than 200 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from the western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. The plane came down in a residential area, crashing on to a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. It was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital. City police chief G S Malik said that 204 bodies had been recovered from the crash site. There were no reports of survivors being found, and the Indian Express newspaper said all 242 on board had perished, citing police. Malik said the bodies recovered could include both passengers and people killed on the ground. Relatives had been asked to give DNA samples to identify the dead, state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi said. 'The building on which it has crashed is a doctors' hostel... we have cleared almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the area and will clear the rest soon,' a senior police officer told reporters. Parts of the plane's body were scattered around the building into which it crashed, photographs and videos from the area showed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building. The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source said. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, Air India said. CRASH JUST AFTER TAKE-OFF The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire can be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. 'My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,' Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers, said. Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, said her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 pm (0809 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft. Britain was working with Indian authorities to urgently establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country's foreign office said in a statement posted on its website. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images emerging of the crash were 'devastating', and that he was being kept informed as the situation developed. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated. — Reuters
