Reuters contributed reporting to this story.
In one of the deadliest air disasters in recent history, an Air India flight bound for London’s Gatwick Airport crashed just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing at least 294 people according to authorities. The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew, plummeted into a medical college hostel during lunchtime on Thursday, claiming additional lives on the ground.
Police confirmed that some of the victims were students living in the hostel. Gujarat state police official Vidhi Chaudhary told Reuters that “approximately 294 have died,” adding that one passenger has been confirmed as a survivor.
That survivor, 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar, was seated in 11A next to an emergency exit, which may have contributed to his ability to escape. Speaking from his hospital bed, Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times, “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran.”
He continued, “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.” Viswashkumar also shared that his brother Ajay was on board but in another row and he has been unable to find him. “Please help me find him,” he pleaded. Below is video of Viswashkumar walking to the ambulance.
A 38-year-old, who was seated on 11A, is now reportedly the lone survivor of the Air India plane crash. The person has been identified as Ramesh Viswashkumar. According to reports, he jumped out of the emergency exit.#AirIndia #PlaneCrash #Viral #ViralVideo pic.twitter.com/VVve7DtGse
— India Today NE (@IndiaTodayNE) June 12, 2025
Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik confirmed that the death toll includes both passengers and those killed on the ground.
Here’s CCTV footage of the plane taking off and crashing. Warning: Viewers may find this footage disturbing.
If you subscribe to my daily travel tip newsletter, you may have noticed the photo (below) I shared yesterday of my family and me on our American Airlines flight from Chicago to Naples. That aircraft is the same model as the one that crashed, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
We were in row 10 on American’s Dreamliner, just a few rows from the exit. On the Air India configuration, row 11 is the first row of economy, right behind business class but an emergency exit row.
Unlike American, which has five rows of first class followed by four rows of Premium Economy and then Main Cabin Extra, Air India’s layout jumps straight from row 3 to row 11. That puts economy passengers like Viswashkumar at the very front of the main cabin. I have a feeling a lot of travelers will start thinking more about spending the extra money to sit by an exit. I do but it’s usually for comfort.
What caused the crash? It’s too early to say, but Adam Kinzinger, former congressman and pilot in the United States Air Force, commented on social media that “the crash of the 787 looks to be more like bird ingestion and engine flameout (like the miracle on the Hudson).”
Air India’s Boeing 787-8 struggles to gain altitude shortly after departing Ahmedabad bound for London. It seems to stall and crashes into a residential area. The plane, a Boeing 788 was never involved in a fatal crash until today. pic.twitter.com/ppnLTpirQu
— Josh Cahill (@gotravelyourway) June 12, 2025
Others pointed out there is no visible footage of a bird strike and speculated it may have been a miscalculation of weight.
View on Threads
Seeing the images online makes me feel sick to my stomach and my thoughts and prayers are with those onboard and their families. Let’s hope and pray this never happens again.
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
