India is reeling after one of the deadliest aviation disasters in its history. On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft went down in a densely populated area, slamming into the B.J. Medical College’s hostel, triggering a fiery explosion.
Rescue teams work at the site of a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
The plane was carrying 242 people, including 11 children and two infants. As of now, over 200 bodies have been recovered, and only one confirmed survivor—a British-Indian man who miraculously escaped through an emergency window. The crash also claimed lives on the ground, with several medical students among the victims. One of the most heartbreaking losses was that of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was onboard.
The airplane’s tail is lodged in a building at the crash site in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
This incident marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 since the aircraft entered service in 2009, casting a dark cloud over what was considered one of the safest wide-body jets in commercial use.
Investigators from India, the U.S., the U.K., and Boeing have launched a joint probe, looking into what caused the plane to lose altitude and fail to retract its landing gear shortly after takeoff. Eyewitnesses reported the plane appeared to struggle from the moment it left the runway.
Emergency crews respond to the site of a plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
As emergency services and grieving families come to terms with the scale of the disaster, the nation mourns a colossal loss. The coming days will be crucial in determining what went wrong—and how such a tragedy can be prevented in the future.
Our thoughts are with all those affected.