Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner Crashes into BJ Medical College Hostel in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: An Air India Boeing 787–8 Dreamliner, operating Flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into the hostel block of BJ Medical College just 30 seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft exploded into a fireball and sent a plume of black smoke across the densely populated Meghani Nagar neighbourhood.

The flight carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members. In the crash and resulting explosion, 241 people on board were confirmed dead, and 28 others on the ground lost their lives. More than 60 individuals, including students and staff at the medical college, sustained injuries. The sole survivor, a 40-year-old British national named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, managed to escape from seat 11A near an emergency exit and is now undergoing treatment.

Eyewitnesses reported dreadful scenes in the mess and the hostel. Students were having lunch when the plane slashed through the area. Plates of untouched food and panicked students who leapt from windows highlighted the abruptness of the disaster.

Emergency teams from the Army, BSF, State Reserve Police Force, and local police promptly reached the site. Rescue crews cleared debris and escorted hundreds of injured victims to nearby hospitals using special green corridors.

Eyewitness Haresh Shah recounted, “The plane was flying very low before it crashed. As it hit the building, there was a loud blast. Both the plane and the building caught fire”.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau have opened a formal inquiry. Boeing and GE Aerospace are working with U.S. and U.K. investigators from the NTSB and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch to analyse flight data and the recovered black boxes.

Key initial findings indicate the aircraft climbed to about 625 feet before descending sharply. Flight-tracking data show it lost radar contact at 1:38 p.m. local time, shortly after sending a mayday call. Authorities are investigating potential causes such as landing gear or flap misconfiguration, engine failure, structural issues, or bird strike.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on X, calling the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words” and stating he remains in touch with officials involved in relief efforts. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the site and coordinated the ongoing response.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III offered condolences, while Tata Group, Air India’s parent company, has set up a support centre for victims’ families and pledged assistance.

This crash marks the first hull-loss fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its introduction in 2011, and it ranks among the deadliest civil aviation disasters in recent Indian history.