Crash of a Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad: 204 Dead and a Residential Area Devastated

Thursday, June 12 – A long-haul Air India aircraft operating flight AI171 to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in northwestern India. On board were 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The human toll is tragic: 204 bodies have been recovered, including victims on the ground.

● A Sudden Plunge

The Boeing 787, known as the Dreamliner, issued a distress call just seconds after takeoff at 1:39 p.m. local time. Less than a minute later, it vanished from radar at an altitude of just 190 meters, according to the specialist site Flightradar. The plane crashed into a densely populated neighborhood between a hospital and the Ghoda Camp district, triggering a spectacular explosion and a fire visible from miles away.

Videos circulating on social media show the aircraft nose-diving in flames before hitting a building. Witnesses report seeing people jumping from upper floors to escape the blaze. Three buildings were reportedly damaged, and many of the victims were on the ground.

● Emergency Response and Severe Injuries

Rescue teams were quickly mobilized, but chaos reigned at the crash site. “Bodies were scattered, some completely charred,” a witness reported. Forty-one people are currently hospitalized, including several medical students trapped in a destroyed dormitory. Two of them are reportedly in intensive care, while five are missing, according to an Indian medical federation.

● An Unprecedented Tragedy for the Dreamliner

This is the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 since its introduction in 2011. The model, used by over 80 airlines worldwide, had recently passed the milestone of one billion passengers. However, it had been plagued by manufacturing issues and delivery suspensions between 2021 and 2023.

Air India, which has operated the aircraft since 2014, stated it is fully cooperating with the investigation. The American manufacturer Boeing announced it is “gathering information” and expressed its “deep solidarity with the affected families.”

● A Global Shockwave

The disaster has sparked strong reactions worldwide. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “a tragedy that breaks the heart,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered “his thoughts to the families of the passengers.” King Charles III said he was “deeply shocked.” French President Emmanuel Macron and Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also expressed their condolences and solidarity. Canada has confirmed that at least one of its nationals is among the victims.

British authorities have sent experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to assist in the inquiry.

● A Delicate Investigation in a Devastated Neighborhood

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that the aircraft crashed outside the airport perimeter, in a mixed residential and office area. Ahmedabad’s international airport—the seventh busiest in India—temporarily suspended operations, but quickly resumed activity.

The investigation must now determine the exact causes of this sudden crash, which occurred less than a minute after takeoff, and assess any possible responsibilities in what is one of the deadliest air disasters of the 21st century outside of terrorist attacks.