Air India Ahmedabad Crash: PM Modi Visits Site, Says ‘Void Will Be Felt for Years’; Death Toll Hits 265

Air India Ahmedabad Crash: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the site of the Air India plane crash, in which 265 people lost their lives, and met the injured victims at the civil hospital.

Modi arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in the morning and drove straight to the plane crash site, officials said. He spent around 20 minutes inspecting the site, where the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171) crashed into a complex of B J Medical College in the Meghaninagar area shortly after taking off on Thursday afternoon.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi informed the prime minister about how the plane crashed into the college hostel and mess. PM Modi later visited the city civil hospital, where he spoke to Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the tragedy, and met the injured victims.

The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 pm with around 242 people on board. The lone survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, has been identified as a British national of Indian origin and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national.

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There were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese, and a Canadian among the 230 passengers on board, along with 12 crew members. Among those killed was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. Only one man made it out alive -- Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a passenger seated in 11A. He is receiving treatment at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

The plane crashed into the hostel block of a medical college during lunchtime, increasing casualties on the ground. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, NDRF, CISF, and local fire services was launched.

The pilot had issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.

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Aviation experts said that, going by the available visuals, a lack of thrust in both engines and a bird hit could be among the probable causes.

Visuals from the wreckage area showed bodies being pulled out and the injured, many with burns, wheeled into the city's civil hospital close by. At least five students at the medical college were killed in the accident.

The tragedy marks the first-ever crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model introduced into commercial service in 2011. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed condolences and said a team of technical experts would be sent to assist with the investigation.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the Foreign Secretary is coordinating with Indian authorities in the probe. US President Donald Trump also offered to help India following the "horrific" plane crash, saying, "Anything we can do, we will do."

Air India’s Parent company, Tata Group, announced Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of those killed, full medical expense coverage for the injured, and assistance to rebuild the impacted medical college infrastructure.

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