Honestly, it’s the kind of news that makes your heart sink. Early Thursday afternoon, an Air India flight heading to London crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad’s main airport. The flight—AI171—was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and had over 230 people on board, including passengers and crew. People nearby saw the plane going down and, within minutes, smoke and flames were visible near the airport area. You could feel the panic through the videos people started posting online. There were sirens, fire trucks, and black smoke rising up in the sky. It’s not clear yet what went wrong, but the whole thing happened so fast.
Crash Happened Near a Residential Area
The plane went down near a place called Meghani Nagar, which is just outside the airport boundary. That’s what makes it even scarier—it’s a residential area. People living there said they heard a loud noise and felt the ground shake. Some even saw parts of the plane crash into a building. The area was filled with emergency workers within minutes. Roads were blocked, and locals were asked to stay away for safety. It could have been even worse, honestly, considering how close it was to where people live.
Heartbreaking.
— sumit upadhyay (@sumitupadhyay__) June 12, 2025
An Air India flight crashed just after takeoff from Ahmedabad today.
DGCA says the pilots sent a MAYDAY call, but there was no response after that.
The plane went down right outside the airport.
Praying for everyone onboard. đź’” pic.twitter.com/P32CgzUiRv
What We Know About the Flight and Passengers
So far, the number of people onboard is being reported between 230 and 242. That includes the passengers and crew. Air India hasn’t confirmed how many survived or how many were hurt, but rescue operations have been going on since the crash. Emergency teams were quick to respond, and fire services managed to control the blaze fairly fast. People are still waiting for official word on casualties, but families of those onboard are already being contacted. It’s a terrible time for them, and honestly, the wait for news must feel like forever.
Investigation Has Started But Questions Remain
Air India released a short statement saying they’re looking into what happened. The DGCA (that’s the aviation authority in India) is now investigating the crash. They’re expected to check everything—from the aircraft’s systems to pilot records to whether the weather or runway had anything to do with it. Right now, there are more questions than answers. People are wondering if the plane had any technical issues or if something sudden happened in the air. The black box will hopefully give some clues, but that will take time. Until then, it’s mostly about making sure the survivors (if any) get the care they need, and figuring out what caused this nightmare.
What We Saw and What People Felt
If you look online, you’ll see a lot of raw videos and reactions. People near the airport shared clips of thick smoke, fire trucks rushing in, and even pieces of the plane scattered around. Some say they felt a blast, others heard screams. You can tell this wasn’t just a regular emergency—it shook the whole area. Flights were paused at the airport right after, and many travelers were stranded or redirected. It’s one of those days when the whole city feels heavy, and everyone’s just hoping for good news—or at least some clarity on how this happened.
