“All 242 Dead as Air India Dreamliner Crashes into Indian Medical Hostel”

“All 242 Dead as Air India Dreamliner Crashes into Indian Medical Hostel”

In a devastating blow to global aviation, all 242 passengers and crew aboard an Air India flight heading to the United Kingdom have been confirmed dead following a catastrophic crash shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The incident is now regarded as the deadliest aviation disaster in over a decade.

The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed from Ahmedabad Airport at exactly 1:39 p.m. local time but lost altitude almost immediately. It plummeted into a densely populated area, slamming directly into the doctors’ hostel at B.J. Medical College—right in the middle of lunch hour.

Authorities reported that the aircraft had sent out a distress “Mayday” call before vanishing from radar. Emergency services rushed to the site, where flames, thick smoke and scenes of panic overwhelmed the area.

By late afternoon, city police chief G.S. Malik confirmed the recovery of 204 bodies from the crash zone. “The building on which it has crashed is a doctors’ hostel… we have cleared almost 70% to 80% of the area and will clear the rest soon,” a senior police officer said from the site.

Tragically, the crash not only claimed the lives of those on board but also potentially killed individuals on the ground. Reports suggest that several medical students in the hostel were among the casualties.

Citing police sources, The Indian Express confirmed that none of the 242 individuals on board survived—comprising 217 adults, 11 children, and two infants. The manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian, according to Air India.

Eyewitness accounts highlighted the horror of the crash. “My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,” said Poonam Patel at a local hospital in Ahmedabad.

Ramila, the mother of a student who narrowly survived, expressed relief mixed with anguish. “My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,” she told reporters.

Shocking television footage revealed the scale of the tragedy: black smoke billowed from the wreckage, fire engulfed large sections of the hostel, and emergency personnel worked frantically to recover bodies and treat the injured. The aircraft’s tail was visibly lodged on the hostel’s rooftop.

Data from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft lost communication just seconds after take-off. Disturbingly, its landing gear was still extended at a point when it should have been retracted. “If you didn’t know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,” observed Anthony Brickhouse, a U.S. aerospace safety expert.

This marks the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011. The doomed plane was delivered to Air India in January 2014 and had been in service since 2013.

GE Aerospace, the U.S.-based engine manufacturer, is sending a team to assist with analysis of flight data and cockpit recordings. Boeing has also confirmed cooperation with both Indian and international aviation authorities. The tragedy has already impacted Boeing’s stock, which saw a 6.8% drop in pre-market trading.

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World leaders have reacted with sorrow and solidarity. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the images “devastating,” while Buckingham Palace released a statement from King Charles: “My wife and I have been desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning.”

The UK Foreign Office has said it is coordinating closely with Indian officials to provide consular assistance to affected families.

In a final logistical step, Indian authorities have begun collecting DNA samples from relatives to help identify remains. “It’s a painstaking process, but essential,” said Dhananjay Dwivedi, Gujarat state health secretary.

The world watches in grief as investigations begin into what led to this horrifying disaster.