AHMEDABAD, India : In one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in decades, an Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday in Ahmedabad, killing at least 240 people. The aircraft struck a multistory hostel building housing medical students before bursting into flames near the city’s airport.Authorities say most of the bodies recovered from the site were charred beyond recognition. Among the dead were several students who were inside the hostel when the aircraft crashed into the structure.
“Most of the bodies have been charred beyond recognition,” said Vidhi Chaudhary, a senior police officer in Gujarat. The city of Ahmedabad, home to over 5 million people and the capital of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, was left reeling from the magnitude of the disaster.Despite the devastation, one passenger has miraculously survived. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the lone survivor and said he visited him at the hospital. The survivor was identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh.
“He was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body,” said Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who treated him. “But he seems to be out of danger.”Images from the crash site showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky as emergency crews battled flames and searched for survivors. The aircraft, fully loaded with fuel, ignited upon impact, setting off a fire that engulfed nearby buildings.
Parts of the fuselage were strewn across the area, with charred bodies lying on the ground as rescue workers and Indian Army teams worked through the wreckage. Civil authorities, firefighters, and military personnel collaborated in an intensive rescue and recovery operation throughout the day.
The Indian government has launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash. Meanwhile, families of victims gathered outside hospitals and morgues, hoping for information about their loved ones.This tragic event marks one of the darkest days in Indian aviation history.
