On 12 June 2025, at approximately 13:39 IST, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner (registration VT‑ANB), departed from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport bound for London Gatwick. Mere thirty seconds after takeoff, the aircraft inexplicably lost power in both engines, nosedived while holding the wings level, and slammed into a hostel block at B.J. Medical College in the Meghani Nagar neighborhood—triggering multiple explosions
😢 Human Toll: Inside the Numbers
- On board: 230 passengers and 12 crew
- Fatalities: 241 aboard, plus 19 on the ground = 260 lives lost, over 60 injured apnews.com+6en.wikipedia.org+6people.com+6
- Survivors: Only one passenger, British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, emerged alive—climbing through an emergency exit but suffering serious burns and fractures thesun.co.uk+4simple.wikipedia.org+4asiatimes.com+4
🚨 Moments of Horror
Eyewitnesses heard a mayday distressed with loss of thrust and saw the plane veer low into residential buildings. Fires erupted instantly from the fuel-laden wings, trapping victims in debris, amid chaotic rescue attempts economictimes.indiatimes.com+9en.wikipedia.org+9aljazeera.com+9.
🔍 Ongoing Investigation
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), backed by the U.S. NTSB, has recovered both flight recorders and launched a full-scale probe—examining every potential cause, including mechanical failure, system malfunction, and even possible sabotage ft.com+2apnews.com+2thesun.co.uk+2. A preliminary report is expected within months.
🇮🇳 National Impact
- The wreckage represents the first fatal Boeing 787 hull loss.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the crash site, offering condolences and pledging uncompromising scrutiny thesun.co.uk+2apnews.com+2reddit.com+2reuters.com+1simple.wikipedia.org+1.
- DNA profiling has concluded—each of the 260 victims has been identified and returned to families aljazeera.com+11simple.wikipedia.org+11timesofindia.indiatimes.com+11.
- Authorities have grounded all 33 Air India Dreamliners for technical inspections, while pilots across India are grounding flights for minor issues amid growing safety fears bloomberg.com+5apnews.com+5timesofindia.indiatimes.com+5.
🛫 What Comes Next
- A government-appointed high-level committee will release its preliminary findings in ~3 months apnews.com.
- Full-scale evaluations of maintenance systems, crew training, and Air India’s operational oversight are underway.
- The tragedy heightens scrutiny of India’s aviation boom and its under-resourced regulator (DGCA) ft.com.
💬 Why It Matters
This disaster transcends mere statistics. It’s a vivid reminder that amid aviation’s marvel lies a fragile margin for error. It’s also a wake-up call—to strengthen systems, ensure transparency, and prioritize lives above all else.
Would you like a follow‑up report on the investigation, survivor story of Mr. Ramesh, or a comparison with past aviation disasters?
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