On June 12, 2025, tragedy struck as an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in western India, bound for London Gatwick. The flight, carrying 242 people including 53 British nationals, ended in catastrophe when the aircraft plunged into a residential area called Meghani Nagar, colliding with the BJ Medical College Hostel and igniting a massive fireball.
Air India confirmed that 241 of the 242 people on board perished, making this disaster the deadliest aviation accident in over a decade. The sole survivor is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British-Indian man who was seated near the emergency exit and miraculously escaped by jumping out of the emergency door. Ramesh sustained injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet but was lucid and conscious after the crash. He described the harrowing moments to the Hindustan Times: "Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly." When he regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by bodies and debris, prompting him to run to safety.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved, registration VT-ANB, had been delivered to Air India in 2014 and this incident marks the first fatal crash involving this model since its introduction in 2011. The aircraft had departed Ahmedabad at 1:38 PM local time and was scheduled to land at London Gatwick at 6:25 PM UK time. Flight tracking data shows the last signal from the plane was received less than a minute after takeoff, shortly after the crew issued a mayday call, indicating an emergency was underway.
Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. The crash also claimed the lives of people on the ground, with at least 24 fatalities confirmed in the medical college building struck by the plane. Police officers initially reported around 294 deaths, including those on the ground, though the official death toll remains under verification pending DNA testing.
The devastation was palpable across communities connected to those lost. The Gloucester Muslim Community mourned the deaths of Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa, and their four-year-old daughter Sara, who were returning from a family celebration. Their business partner described them as a "lovely family" and expressed shock over the sudden loss. Also among the dead were recently widowed Raxa Modha, her grandson Rudra, and daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar, who were returning to Northamptonshire after fulfilling the dying wish of her late husband. Gujarat's former chief minister, Vijay Rupani, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was also among the victims, marking a significant loss for the region.
Emergency responders faced grim conditions at the crash site, battling intense fires fueled by approximately 125,000 litres of jet fuel. India's Home Minister Amit Shah remarked on the severity: "The intense heat caused by burning jet fuel meant that had been little chance for anyone who survived impact to escape." Residents described the crash as sounding like a bomb blast and shaking the ground like an earthquake, with some occupants of the hostel forced to jump from upper floors to escape the flames.
Air India’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, called the incident a "tragic accident" and emphasized the airline's commitment to supporting those affected. Tata Sons, the parent company of Air India since its acquisition in 2022, pledged around £86,000 (10 million rupees) to the families of each deceased passenger, alongside covering medical expenses for the injured and aiding in rebuilding the damaged medical college.
International and local leaders expressed their condolences. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes as "devastating," while King Charles and Queen Camilla offered their "deepest possible sympathy" to the families affected. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his heartbreak on social media, stating, "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words." The UK Foreign Office is working closely with Indian authorities to provide support and has dispatched an investigation team to assist in determining the cause of the crash.
Investigators from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will collaborate with Indian civil aviation authorities to analyze the crash. CCTV footage capturing the takeoff and crash will be a crucial part of the investigation, alongside the recovery of the plane’s black box flight recorders. Aviation expert Julian Bray noted that the pilot managed to issue a mayday call, indicating awareness of a critical problem before the crash.
The pilot, identified as Mr. Sabharwal, reportedly had 8,200 hours of flying experience and was heard saying he had "no thrust" and was "unable to lift" the aircraft less than 650 feet above the ground before impact. This tragic accident marks the first fatal crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model celebrated as the bestselling widebody passenger aircraft with over two thousand orders worldwide and more than one billion passengers carried.
The crash has triggered mourning events in the UK, particularly in London areas with strong ties to Gujarat, such as Harrow and Brent, where vigils and prayer services have been held. London MP Bob Blackman revealed that constituents have been notified about the deaths of relatives and emphasized the ongoing work to identify the Indian nationals on board, many of whom were likely visiting family in the UK.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, families await the results of DNA testing to confirm the final death toll. Meanwhile, the aviation community and passengers worldwide are left grappling with the shock of a rare and devastating accident that shattered the safety record of one of the most advanced aircraft in service.
With the world watching, the focus remains on uncovering the causes behind this catastrophe and providing solace to those whose lives have been irreversibly changed.
