At least 20 feared dead in Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad

At least 20 passengers have been feared dead in the deadly crash near Ahmedabad airport, according to reports from multiple Indian media outlets.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, Gujarat Home Minister and CM Patel have left for Civil Hospital where injured have been shifted. 

An Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick airport with 242 passengers onboard crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

Among the 232 passengers onboard was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who, according to officials, has been confirmed dead in the accident.

‘Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025. At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest,’ Air India said in a statement on ‘X’.

According to Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Boeing B787 aircraft took off at 1:38 pm and crashed within five minutes near the Meghaninagar area, close to the Ahmedabad airport.
The Ahmedabad airport has been temporarily shut down while emergency services, including fire brigades and ambulances, have been rushed to the crash site.

Initial visuals shared by news agency PTI showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky from what appeared to be near the airport perimeter, indicating a significant fire post-impact.

The flight was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, scheduled to fly from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, London.