Tragedy in Ahmedabad: At least 270 deaths after the plane crash

Tragedy in Ahmedabad: At least 270 deaths after the plane crash

Ahmedabad, Indien - On June 18, 2025, the crash of an Air India passenger plane, which had an accident last Thursday near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, was the sad topic of reporting and investigation. A total of 242 people were on board in this tragic incident, and the number of fatalities is estimated at at least 270, including the victims on the ground. The flight with the number AI171 was on the way to London-Gatwick, when the plane, a Boeing 787-8, crashed into a residential area shortly after starting and went into flames.

The identification of the numerous fatalities who died by the terrible misfortune is in full swing. So far, 202 DNA samples have been successfully assigned. Among the passengers were 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian. A British passenger of Indian origin survived the crash after sitting in 11a near an emergency exit and is currently being treated in the hospital.

the cause of the accident and investigation

The exact cause of the accident is so far unclear. The investigators have recovered the two flight writers - the flight data recorder and the voice recorder - in order to find possible information about the cause of the accident. Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu described the find of the flight writers as an "important step". According to reports, there was a "Mayday" call from the cockpit before the plane crashed. For this purpose, support was requested by the US transport security authority NTSB and British experts to advance the investigation.

Settling teams are currently busy looking for other wreck parts that could possibly provide information about the cause of the accident. The British flight accident authority AAIB also sent a team to India to support the investigation. Boeing offered his support in the ongoing investigation.

background to flight accidents

Flight accidents are among the most tragic events in aviation history, but the number and serious accidents have dropped over the past few years. In 2022 there were a total of 233 fatalities worldwide through aircraft turrets, which is a significant improvement compared to previous years. Before the turn of the millennium, aircraft hungry demanded more than 1,000 victims annually. The accident rate in commercial aviation also remains low compared to driving, which is partly due to technical innovations, such as the development of landing assistants.

The upcoming investigations into the tragic crash in India could not only give tragic insights into the events of the accident, but also offer important teachings for the safety of the aviation industry in general.