Indian Authorities Revise Air Crash Death Toll to Over 240; One Passenger Survives

An Air India flight from Ahmedabad, India, to London crashed shortly after takeoff, killing at least 240 people in what is the deadliest aviation disaster globally in nearly a decade. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, was bound for Gatwick Airport, south of the UK capital.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening local time, with the plane crashing into a residential area, including a medical college dormitory and other buildings. Air India confirmed the sole known survivor is a British man of Indian descent, currently receiving hospital treatment. He told Indian media he heard a loud bang shortly after Flight AI171 took off.

Local senior police officer Vidhi Chaudhary told Reuters, “We are still confirming the number of fatalities, including those in the buildings where the plane crashed.” She noted the death toll exceeds 240, lower than the previously reported 294. It remains unclear how many victims were on the plane versus on the ground. Chaudhary added that the known survivor was seated at 11A near an emergency exit and suggested other survivors might be receiving hospital treatment.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, 40, told Hindustan Times, “About 30 seconds after takeoff, there was a loud bang, and then the plane crashed.” The newspaper displayed his boarding pass for seat 11A online. Speaking from his hospital bed, he said, “It all happened so fast. When I woke up, there were bodies everywhere, and I was terrified. I got up and ran. There was debris all around. Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance to the hospital.”

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said the recovered bodies likely include both passengers and ground victims. A Reuters source reported the passengers comprised 217 adults, 11 children, and 2 infants. Air India stated that 169 passengers were Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. According to the Aviation Safety Network, this is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its commercial debut in 2011. Flightradar24 data shows the aircraft’s first flight was in 2013, delivered to Air India in January 2014. Footage shows the plane flying over a residential area after takeoff before disappearing, followed by a massive fireball rising from behind houses. Ahmedabad airport air traffic control records indicate the flight took off at 1:39 p.m. The plane issued a “Mayday” distress signal before losing contact with the ground. India’s Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has launched a formal inquiry. He added, “The government will form a high-level committee of multi-disciplinary experts to conduct a thorough review of the incident.”