Air India Flight 171 Crash that Claimed 241 Lives - Everything You Need to Know in this 'Special Report'

News in a flash

"Their bodies were scorched beyond recognition".

This is the statement of a rescue official who was engaged in the relief operations following the devastating crash of Air India Flight 717 this Thursday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner carried 242 passengers, all of whom perished in the crash- that shook the entire nation yesterday barring a lone survivor. The flight departed from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 1:39 PM and was bound for London. Not long after its initial takeoff, the captain issued a Mayday Call, which was followed by the crash that made headlines worldwide. While the exact reason for the crash is yet to be uncovered, experts have their own set of speculations; with questions on fuel starvation and system configuration running rampant, it could take months to identify what went wrong. Aviation experts from the BBC stated that the position of the plane's wing flaps was faulty.

It is noteworthy that the flight carried 1.25 lakh liters of fuel which added to the intensity of the disaster that unfolded. The Home Minister who took stock of the situation later remarked that there was nothing much that could have been done, considering the massive amount of fuel the plane was carrying. Among the passengers, 53 have been confirmed to be British nationals while there were 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian citizens on board the aircraft, all of whom perished in the crash. The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has extended his support and condolences to the families of the deceased.

The crash might possibly be the worst aircraft crash in the aviation history of the country. Immediately after the incident a team of experts led by the Director General of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau was dispatched to the crash site for a detailed investigation which was followed by the Home Minister's visit. Prime Minister Modi has arrived in Ahmedabad today to take stock of the situation and is expected to have protracted discussions with the investigation team.

Crash Landing atop the hostel of a Med School : 50+ Lives Claimed

The aircraft came down abruptly after it had reached an altitude of 625 feet and directly crash landed atop a nearby student hostel of . According to sources, the building is an intern's hostel of the BJ Medical College. 50+ medical undergrads were having their lunch just as the plane crashed into the hostel building claiming the lives of almost 50 medical students as per the claims of Indian Medical Association Medical Students' Network (IMA-MSN) This morning the number has crossed the mark of 70 as per latest reports.

A chilling video of the hostel interiors revealing the immediate aftermath of the crash is being circulated across different digital platforms. One short clip shows the alarming outcome of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashing into the BJ Medical College hostel. The footage was shot on a mobile phone: it's shaky and unedited.
The screen is blurry in the beginning. As the video progresses, the camera reveals major damage inside the hostel, with broken ceilings, hanging wires, and aircraft parts scattered around.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected..” — Narendra Modi

Relief and rescue operations ongoing

The DGCA stated that the plane, after taking off from runway 23, lost height and crashed just outside the airport boundary. Stats from flight-tracking website 'Flightradar24' indicate the plane only ascended to 625 feet before plummeting sharply.

Fire Officer Jayesh Khadia, from the scene, stated: "The aircraft had caught fire after the crash. Fire vehicles were rushed to the location to extinguish the fire. Rescue operations are still underway." Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Gandhinagar with more from Vadodara have been sent in yesterday. They have asked people to keep clear of the area, which is currently under active emergency response.

Air India has set up a passenger helpline, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued contact numbers for families:

• Air India Passenger Hotline: 1800 5691 444
• Civil Aviation Control Room: 011-24610843 / 9650391859

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu condoled the families of the victims and said he was keeping an eye on the developments personally:

Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani pronounced dead

In a harrowing row of events, it was confirmed that the former Chief Minister of Gujarat was one of the unfortunate passengers who was bound for London to meet his family . Rupani had served Gujarat as its 16th Chief Minister and was known for his calm demeanor and strong administrative temperament, which led Gujarat through a crucial period of post-Covid rejuvenation

Vijay Rupani was aboard the ill-fated aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu confirmed.

“We are going to do a fair and thorough investigation, and probe why this incident happened. We still have to find out the numbers...Very sad to know that Vijay Rupani was also there, as were other nationals” — Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu

What kind of a plane was it?

The first flight of this plane was in December 2013 and it was delivered to Air India in January 2014, as shown by data-firm 'Cirium'.

Air India operated 34 of them as of Thursday, including this aircraft, and planned to order a minimum of 20 more, Cirium reported. The airline has been increasing its fleet with new jets from both Boeing and competitor Airbus, and putting in more upscale cabins.

There are over 1,100 Dreamliners operating across the globe (Source : CNBC)

Air India to dispatch Relief Flights from Mumbai, Delhi for relatives of the crash victims

Lone Survivor of the Crash

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh has been identified as the sole survivor of the Air India crash that took the lives of 241 people. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating on the aerial route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick fell into a hostel of a medical college 33 seconds after the it took off on Thursday afternoon. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national who was perceived to be visiting relatives in India, was returning to the UK with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45.

While Vishwash was seated in 11A, his brother occupied another row in the plane. He had been sitting near the emergency exit and managed to jump out as the plane went down , confirmed the police. "Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly," Vishwash told HT.

Still clutching his Air India boarding pass, Vishwash reiterated, "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital."

Vishwash sustained impact injuries to the chest, eyes, and feet. He is being treated at Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad.
Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor, and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital remarked that he is not very critical and could be expected to be discharged in the next few days.

Netizens are calling Vishwash Ramesh the 'Miracle Man' ; it is virtually impossible to walk out of such a fatal disaster that too completely unscathed, some of them opined. Yesterday the Home Minister met Ramesh in the civil hospital and assured of all possible support at the government's end.