Officials are reporting a death toll of at least 241 following an Air India crash, which occurred on June 12 near Ahmedabad, a city in western India. It is unknown how many people on the ground were killed.
The plane, a Boeing 787 with 242 people onboard bound for London and identified as flight AI 171, crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff, said Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of the directorate of civil aviation.
A single survivor found in the aftermath recounted his experience.
Ramesh said he sustained impact injuries on his chest, eyes, and feet.
“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,” he said.
“Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
According to Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior Indian police officer, Ramesh was in seat 11A.
The death toll slowly rose in the hours after the incident—making it the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a massive fireball when the plane crashed.
Imagery posted on social media by news outlets shows debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising into the sky near the airport.
One news outlet reported that India’s aviation regulator described a “mayday” call from the airplane before the crash occurred.
The pilot, Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, reportedly had 8,200 hours of experience, and his copilot had 1,100 hours of flight time.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event,” he said.
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.”
The airline’s parent company, Tata Group, announced on X that it will provide 10 million rupees (about $116,800) to family members of those killed in the crash.
Officials also said the organization would cover medical bills for victims and facilitate reconstruction of the medical school that was damaged.
“We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171,” the company wrote. “No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment.”
The plane’s manufacturer offered condolences to all affected.
The aerospace giant has faced challenges in recent years after production delays, safety incidents, and whistleblowers raised alarms about the company’s reputation.
During a bill signing event at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said the disaster was “horrific” and “terrible,” vowing to support Modi and the Indian government.
