One Survives As At Least 200 Killed In Air India Crash
According to the flight manifest released by authorities, that seat was occupied by British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.

A man of British origin, on Thursday, June 12, survived a plane crash involving India's flagship airline, Air India, that killed at least 200 people.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told Indian news agency ANI that there was one survivor from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, seated in 11A.
According to the flight manifest released by authorities, that seat was occupied by British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Indian media said they had spoken to Ramesh in the hospital and reported him saying: "Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."
Indian media stated that he shared his boarding pass, which showed his name and seat number. Commissioner Malik told ANI the survivor "has been in the hospital and is under treatment".
Wreckage of the Air India Flight 171 crash on June 12, 2025. /BBC
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the flight, which was taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport toward London Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom (UK).
Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner with 242 people aboard (230 passengers, 12 crew), crashed after it had lost its transponder signal at an altitude of only about 625 feet, less than one minute after liftoff, and reportedly issued a Mayday call.
Eyewitnesses saw the plane climbing initially, then suddenly descending. It crashed into a residential area, including buildings of B.J. Medical College, causing a massive fireball and thick black smoke. Parts of the aircraft, notably the tail cone and stabilisers, ended up embedded in buildings.
CCTV footage seen by Viral Tea showed the plane speeding down the runway before lifting off, with dust (or smoke), however, visible as it climbed. Other multiple videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft losing its momentum moments before it crashed.
At least 204 bodies have since been recovered on site. Additionally, at least five medical students on the ground were killed and around 50 sustained injuries.
Emergency crews, including firefighters, ambulances, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Indian Army, were rapidly deployed, with hospital corridors cleared and a green emergency route established. Furthermore, authorities suspended flights at Ahmedabad Airport and are continuing rescue and recovery efforts.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it was sending a team of U.S. investigators to India to support the local inquiry into the Boeing plane crash. This was shared in an official statement on X.
Under international rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), U.S. agencies like the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are permitted to participate in crash investigations abroad. ICAO’s Annexe 13 specifically lays out how countries collaborate during these probes to keep global aviation standards consistent.
Because of these ICAO protocols, all official updates and findings will come from the Indian government. Annexe 13 mandates a preliminary report within 30 days of the crash and a final report either within a year or as soon as all facts are confirmed.
Reacting to the crash, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words.” UK PM Neil Starmer, King Charles, and Pope Leo XIV expressed condolences, and crisis desks were set up in both India and the UK.
Kenya's national airline, Kenya Airways, which had entered a new codeshare partnership with Air India on January 31, 2025, stated on X that "Our hearts are heavy with the news of the Air India flight AI171 tragedy in Ahmedabad."
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of all those affected, as well as the Air India team. At Kenya Airways, we stand in solidarity during this difficult time."
Today’s crash of an Air India flight on a Boeing 787-8 aeroplane is the latest in a string of safety incidents over the years for US-based plane manufacturer Boeing Co., which confirmed that this was the first-ever fatal accident involving a 787 Dreamliner.