Air India has confirmed that 241 of the 242 people on board flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London have died after the Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday afternoon. The only known survivor is a passenger seated in A11, identified as Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, who was travelling with his brother.
The aircraft departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm IST and crashed within five minutes, plummeting into the BJ Medical College hostel mess, just 5 km from the runway. At the time of the crash, over 100 students were inside the building for lunch. A massive explosion followed the impact, sending a column of black smoke high into the sky.
Eyewitnesses reported a loud explosion and plumes of thick black smoke rising from the crash site in Ahmedabad. Emergency services, including at least seven fire engines and multiple ambulances, were immediately dispatched. Authorities sealed roads leading to the area to allow unhindered rescue operations.
