Many people are believed to be dead after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed just after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed to the Gatwick Airport in Britain, Reuters reported. According to Indian authorities, the aircraft crashed into a civilian area near the airport in Ahmedabad, striking a doctors’ hostel at a medical college.
“At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said. “The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.”
Of the 242 people on board, 11 were children. Most of the passengers were Indian, while there were 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
Videos circulating on X show the Boeing plane slowly descending over a residential area before it disappears, and then a massive fireball is seen.
BREAKING:
A London-bound Air India Flight 171 has crashed into a residential area minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, India.
The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 242 passengers and crew pic.twitter.com/3BEOCmXLXd
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 12, 2025
Ahmedabad Airport air traffic control said that the plane transmitted a “Mayday” call shortly after takeoff at 1:39 p.m. local time, but there was no response from the aircraft after the emergency signal, according to Reuters. More videos from a hospital in the city showed injured people being wheeled in on stretchers after the crash, according to The New York Times.
While the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has experienced issues in the past, including forcing passengers to evacuate and suspending flights, there have been no fatal crashes reported until Thursday’s tragedy in India, according to the Times. Boeing has faced increased scrutiny recently over safety issues and deadly plane crashes. Last month, Boeing reached a deal with the U.S. government, agreeing to pay around $1 billion to avoid prosecution over two crashes involving Boeing’s 737 MAX 8s that killed a total of 346 people.
One of the passengers on the Air India flight was Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, the state where Ahmedabad is located. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat, said, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.”