ISTANBUL, June 12 — At least one passenger survived after a London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 people crashed in western India on Thursday, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, according to India Today.
Flight AI171 reportedly struck a medical college hostel shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The aircraft was en route to Gatwick Airport in London.
The lone survivor, identified as R. Viswashkumar, was found seated in 11A, local police told the news outlet.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G. S. Malik was quoted by multiple media sources as confirming the recovery of 204 bodies from the crash site.
Among the deceased was Rupani Vijay, the former chief minister of Gujarat, the state where the incident occurred.
Officials also confirmed that at least five students were killed when the aircraft slammed into the hostel building. Around 50 people sustained injuries in the vicinity of the crash site.
Eyewitnesses reported that while some people were inside the hostel at the time of the incident, most staff quarters were empty as many were out for lunch.
Women and children injured on the ground were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, announced it will provide financial assistance of one crore Indian rupees (approximately US$116,863) to the families of each person who lost their life in the crash.
The group will also cover the medical expenses of the injured and support the restoration of the damaged hostel.
[caption id="attachment_404015" align="aligncenter" width="890"]
Members of local community stand outside family home of R. Viswashkumar, a British survivor of the London-bound Air India aircraft crash near Ahmedabad Airport in India, in Leicester, Britain, on June 12, 2025. — Picture by REUTERS[/caption]
Later, it was reported that at least 265 people were killed from the air crash.
The Press Trust of India, citing police, reported that as many as 265 bodies were recovered after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into the college hostel.
Of the total bodies, 241 aboard Flight AI171 were confirmed dead by Air India, while the rest of the deceased are believed to be students and locals nearby.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, after visiting the crash site, said the intense heat from burning fuel in the wreckage "left no chance" to save passengers. He added that the final death toll would be announced once DNA results confirm the identities of the victims.
"Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones," the airline said in a statement.
President M. Droupadi expressed her “heartfelt condolences” to Rupani's relatives and called the incident “utterly devastating”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words”, which has "stunned and saddened us".
Indian Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said that a formal investigation had been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
Aerospace manufacturer Boeing’s President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said Boeing was ready to assist with the investigation.
The flight had 169 Indian nationals aboard, along with 53 UK citizens, seven from Portugal, and one from Canada, in addition to two pilots and 10 members of the cabin crew.
— Bernama
