‘We heard a massive sound’: First eyewitness accounts from the Air India plane crash scene

The first eyewitness has described scenes of devastation after an Air India plane crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, India.

The London-bound Air India flight AI 171, carrying 244 people, including 53 British nationals, lost signal less than a minute after take-off. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, went down at around 1:38 pm local time and crashed into the Meghani Nagar neighbourhood near the airport.

“I was at home when we heard a massive sound,” one local resident told the Press Trust of India. “When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered all over.”

Footage shared on social media and local TV stations shows large plumes of smoke rising from the crash site, with emergency services rushing to the scene.

VIDEO | Ahmedabad plane crash: Here's what an eyewitness said:

"I was at home when we heard a massive sound. When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered… pic.twitter.com/Km0xCm9yde

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025

Gatwick Airport confirmed the incident and said it was liaising with authorities. The flight was due to land at 6:25 pm UK time.

India’s Civil Aviation Minister posted on X that rescue operations are underway and medical aid is being provided. “We are on highest alert. I am personally monitoring the situation,” he said.

Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, confirmed the crash occurred five minutes after departure. It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787. It’s an aircraft first introduced in 2009 and widely used by airlines around the world.

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Air India Chairman said the airline has launched an emergency response and support team to assist the families of passengers. “Our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families,” he said in a statement.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer responded to the tragedy, saying, “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops. And my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”

Local media has reported 179 deaths, but Air India is yet to confirm this. Rescue operations are ongoing.

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