London-bound Air India Boeing Crash Kills Hundreds, Leaves Sole Survivor

An Air India flight bound for London tragically crashed in western India shortly after takeoff on Thursday, resulting in over 290 fatalities. The crash, which also impacted a nearby medical institution, marked India's worst aviation disaster since 1996.

Video footage confirmed by The New York Times shows the aircraft ascending, then gently flying above buildings before erupting into a large explosion. The footage suggests the plane was airborne for under a minute, with no indication of a sudden dive or fall.

The director general of the directorate of civil aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, confirmed to the Associated Press that Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787,  crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time.

Air India reported one survivor, a British national, while 241 of the 242 passengers onboard were killed.

India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced on X that rescue teams have been dispatched and all possible measures are being taken to provide medical care and support at the scene.

“We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and coordinated action,” he wrote.

The cause of the disaster remains unknown. Among the passengers, Reuters reported, were two infants, 11 children, and 217 adults.

Air India says 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. UK officials are being sent to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

Photographs from the aftermath depicted the plane's fuselage, tail, and landing gear embedded in the BJ Medical College building, with debris scattered throughout the area.

The Boeing Dreamliner, began flying commercially in 2011, reached Air India in January 2014.

"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us," Indian prime minister Narendra Modi posted on X. "It is heartbreaking beyond words." Gujarat is Mr Modi's home state.

Malaysia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement late Thursday, expressing profound sympathy and condolences in the wake of a tragic incident. The statement conveyed Malaysia's solidarity with Portugal, India, the United Kingdom, and Canada.


“The Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai has confirmed that no Malaysians were on board the aircraft. Nonetheless, the Consulate General is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as necessary,” it says.