
Reports have been confirmed that one 38 year old male passenger – Viswash Kumar Ramesh – sitting in seat A-11 has survived. Grainy video shows Mr. Ramesh walking away from the crash and to a waiting ambulance. He is a British national and was traveling home with his older brother. He is currently being treated for his injuries in a nearby hospital.
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (registration VT‑ANB) en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just five minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m. IST. The aircraft reached only about 625 ft altitude before losing contact and descending into the Meghani Nagar residential area in Ahmedabad, igniting a massive fireball.
- All 242 souls on board—230 passengers (169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian) and 12 crew (Captain Sumeet Sabharwal with 8,200 hrs, First Officer Clive Kundar with 1,100 hrs)—were killed.
- Local reports confirm no survivors from the flight, and additional casualties occurred on the ground when the aircraft struck a doctors’ hostel/BJ Medical College.
- Emergency teams responded swiftly, rescuing injured locals and transporting them to nearby hospitals.
Victim & Location Details
- Nationalities onboard: 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian.
- Crash site: in a densely populated residential and office district (Meghani Nagar), causing building damage and casualties both onboard and on the ground.
Investigation & Response
- Officials have initiated a full investigation; the cause remains undetermined, with black box retrieval in progress.
- Boeing has pledged full cooperation. This is the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its 2011 debut.
- Boeing’s stock dropped over 4–5% following the news amid renewed scrutiny.
Global Reactions
- Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik confirmed there were almost certainly no survivors and warned of further local casualties.
- Indian PM Narendra Modi, UK PM Keir Starmer, King Charles, and Pope Leo XIV have expressed deep condolences.
- Indian Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda reported “many perished” in the incident.
- The UK has offered assistance to India and affected families.
Context & Significance
- This marks the first deadly Boeing 787 accident globally.
- The loss has renewed concerns over Boeing’s safety, following recent 737 MAX controversies and quality-control issues.
- It will likely trigger deeper examination of Boeing’s manufacturing and regulatory oversight processes.
Ongoing Developments
- Crash site operations continue, with recovery of flight recorders, human remains, and debris.
- Ahmedabad airport halted flights temporarily; services are gradually resuming as investigations proceed.
- Civil aviation authorities in India and the UK await black box analysis results and ATC data for clues.
The crash of Flight AI‑171 is one of the most devastating aviation tragedies of 2025 and the first fatal accident involving Boeing’s widely used 787 Dreamliner. With all 242 aboard dead and ground damage reported, the incident is drawing international attention. Investigations into mechanical, human, and operational factors are under way.
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