Ahmedabad Plane Crash Toll at 274, Includes Flyers, Locals

At least 274 people lost their lives in one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters earlier this week, when a London-bound Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, according to sources on Saturday.

The fatalities, sources said, include both passengers and crew members aboard AI 171, as well as local residents on the ground.

The aircraft was carrying 242 people, 230 passengers, two pilots, and 10 crew members, when it crashed into a medical college just seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick on Thursday. Of those on board, only one person survived: a British national of Indian origin. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Sources said the victims include 10 doctors and their family members who were living in the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area. Twenty-four MBBS students injured in the crash are still undergoing treatment.

Sources said the aircraft’s black box has been recovered, and over 100 workers along with 40 engineers are currently involved in clearing the wreckage from the crash site.

On Thursday, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, crashed just seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Officials said the aircraft lost altitude shortly after its 1:30 p.m. departure, slamming into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College before bursting into flames and sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

According to Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control, the pilot of AI 171 issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call—indicating a full emergency, shortly after takeoff.

Aviation experts suggest that a dual engine thrust failure or a possible bird strike could be among the likely causes, based on early visuals. Scenes from the crash site showed bodies being recovered from the wreckage, while the injured, many suffering severe burns, were rushed to the nearby city civil hospital for treatment.

Many questions remain unanswered about the circumstances that led to the fatal crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, an aircraft type first introduced in 2011. Investigators are focusing on the final 30 seconds of the flight, probing why the plane failed to gain thrust and whether there were any malfunctions with the flaps, engine controls, or other critical systems.

The black box of the ill-fated aircraft was recovered from the rooftop of the hostel building at the medical college on Friday. Data from the device is expected to clarify the sequence of events and help determine whether the crash resulted from technical failure or human error.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site the same day to assess the situation firsthand. He also met the lone survivor and several of the injured at the hospital.

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