241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
In what is being described as one of the worst air disasters in recent history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, claiming the lives of 241 people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visibly shaken, visited the smouldering crash site in the Meghaninagar area on Friday, expressing deep grief over the accident.
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
The ill-fated flight AI 171 was bound for London Gatwick and had just lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 1:30 PM when disaster struck. Within seconds, the aircraft lost altitude, slammed into the residential quarters of doctors from BJ Medical College, and erupted into a fireball, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky.
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
Among the dead were at least five medical students residing in the impacted building. Rescue efforts were swift but grim, with visuals from the site showing charred wreckage, rescue teams pulling out bodies, and the severely injured being rushed to the city civil hospital. The lone miracle: a single survivor, an Indian-origin British national, pulled from the wreckage with burn injuries.
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
Air India released a breakdown of the victims: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. The flight was captained by 8,200-hour veteran Sumeet Sabharwal, with first officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flight hours.
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
Authorities confirmed the pilot had issued a ‘Mayday’ distress signal moments after take-off. Early speculation by aviation analysts points toward a possible dual engine failure or bird strike, but the final cause remains under investigation. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that a high-level committee has been constituted to probe the crash.
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister Kinjarapu had already visited the site to assess the damage and coordinate relief.
A sombre Prime Minister Modi, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister for 12 years, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking beyond words.” He said on X, “My thoughts are with everyone affected by it. I’ve been in constant touch with ministers and officials working on the ground.”
241 Dead in Air India Dreamliner Crash
The nation now mourns the lives lost in what was meant to be a routine international flight but became a haunting reminder of aviation’s perils.
