A video shared online shows a man emerging from a crash site near an Indian airport, just moments after a commercial aircraft went down.
At 1:39 p.m., flight AI171 departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, carrying 230 passengers along with 12 crew members.
On their X account, Air India reported that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was transporting 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven from Portugal, and one Canadian citizen. The aircraft crashed within minutes of takeoff and burst into flames.
At the Civil Hospital in Asarwa, 40-year-old Vishwash, who has lived in London for 20 years and has a wife and child there, described what happened in the moments after the aircraft lifted off.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” he told Hindustan Times. The outlet also posted Vishwash’s boarding pass on their website.
He had been in India for a short visit and was returning to the United Kingdom with his 45-year-old brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh. The two were seated in different rows on the flight. Vishwash said, “We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him.”
Meanwhile, Vishwash reportedly sustained “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes, and feet. After regaining consciousness, he said he stood up, afraid after seeing the surrounding disaster, and ran through debris until someone helped him into an ambulance.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, several other families were also searching for missing relatives. One of those was Sailesh Mandliya, a former aide to Gujarat’s ex-Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The politician’s whereabouts remained uncertain as of this writing, and Mandliya asked to be informed if any information surfaced.
Furthermore, footage of the crash has been circulating online since early Thursday. At approximately 5 a.m. EST, Times Now posted a video with the caption: “Caught On Cam: Passenger plane crashes near Ahmedabad Airport.”
In the clip, the plane is seen flying dangerously close to the ground, and then, it disappears for a second before a large explosion blows black smoke and fire into the air.
Roughly an hour later, Air India released a statement confirming the crash and the number of people on board. The airline said injured passengers had been taken to nearby hospitals and that a helpline—1-800-569-1444—was active for those seeking information.
The airline also requested that members of the media refrain from calling the hotline and instead follow updates on its X handle and official website.
Later in the day, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson delivered a public address regarding the crash. He started by expressing sympathy for those affected and highlighted that the airline’s immediate priority was attending to the needs of the passengers, crew, and their families.
The CEO went on to review the flight’s details, including the number of people on board, and outlined their ongoing response: local authorities had transported the injured to nearby hospitals, and Air India was working closely with them on emergency efforts.
Wilson also explained that the company was sending a dedicated support team to Ahmedabad to provide additional assistance and acknowledged the public’s need for updates.
However, the CEO stressed that the airline would only share information once it was verified and asked for everyone to avoid speculation.
Finally, Wilson stated that teams were working around the clock to assist passengers, crew, their families, and investigators, and ended his remarks with a “thank you.”
Deeply shocked by the events in Ahmedabad, the royal couple expressed their condolences to everyone affected and those awaiting word on loved ones across several nations. The statement also included praise for the emergency crews who responded to the crisis.
While the situation continues to unfold today, we also offer our heartfelt sympathies to the victims’ families and loved ones during this difficult time.
