Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the crash site of Air India flight 171 and met with survivors at the Civil Hospital, a day after the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner slammed into a hostel building shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people.
#WATCH | Ahmedabad | PM @narendramodi visited the Air India plane crash site and took stock of the situation, today#AirIndia #PlaneCrashIndia #planecrashahmedabad https://t.co/TzfwY3IN4o pic.twitter.com/U1HW64CPx5
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) June 13, 2025
PM Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning, was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi during the visit. He was received at the airport by Patel, Kinjarapu, and Union Minister CR Paatil.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the lone survivor of yesterday’s #AirIndiaPlaneCrash
241 of 242 who were onboard the plane lost their lives. pic.twitter.com/k4hR4mCEPa
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) June 13, 2025
The aircraft, which departed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 p.m. local time Thursday, issued a Mayday call moments after liftoff from runway 23. Air Traffic Control (ATC) confirmed the aircraft did not respond to further communication before crashing just outside the airport perimeter.
The crash, one of the deadliest in India’s aviation history, claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 people onboard. The lone survivor, officials confirmed, is a British national of Indian origin. The aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
According to officials, the aircraft, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran Line Training Captain with over 8,200 hours of flying experience, was engulfed in flames after impact. First Officer Clive Kundar had logged 1,100 flying hours.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who met Chief Minister Patel on Thursday, said the high-intensity blaze left no chance of survival due to the estimated 125,000 liters of aviation fuel that ignited on impact.
“The temperature was so high that it was impossible to save anyone,” Shah said. “I visited the site and coordinated with the Prime Minister, Civil Aviation authorities, and state agencies for immediate rescue and relief.”
Shah also noted that around 1,000 DNA samples had been collected for identification. The official death toll will be confirmed once testing is complete.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a formal inquiry into the incident. Civil Aviation Minister Naidu said the investigation will follow global standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“A high-level committee with multidisciplinary experts is also being constituted to examine the crash and recommend systemic safety improvements,” Naidu wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The crash site — a hostel for resident doctors — was devastated by the impact. Emergency responders and investigators worked through the night to recover remains and gather evidence.
Air India has yet to release a statement identifying the survivor, though authorities said they are in stable condition and being treated at a private facility under security.
As the nation mourns, the government has assured that the findings of the investigation will be made public and necessary reforms will be undertaken to bolster aviation safety.
