India Plane Crash Today: Live Updates on Survivors, Cause & Rescue Efforts

Subheadings: Explosion on Take-Off | Casualty Toll | What Eyewitnesses Saw | Rescue and Recovery | Black-Box Hunt | Possible Causes Under Probe | Flight AI171: At a Glance | Aviation Safety Record | What Happens Next Explosion on Take-Off Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, burst into flames seconds after leaving Runway 23 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at 06:03 IST on 12 June 2025. Airport radar data show the jet reached barely 600 ft (180 m) before banking sharply left and plummeting into an open field bordering the Sabarmati River. Casualty Toll Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G. S. Malik confirmed there are no survivors among the 242 people on board—231 passengers and 11 crew members. Among the dead are 37 children and 16 foreign nationals, including citizens of the U.K., Canada, and Australia. Hospitals across Gujarat have activated disaster protocols to handle DNA identification. What Eyewitnesses Saw Local resident Rina Patel said she “heard a loud boom like a gas cylinder exploding, then saw a fireball streak across the sky.” Security-camera footage circulating on social media shows a flash at the left engine moments before impact, fueling speculation of an uncontained engine failure. Rescue and Recovery More than 300 firefighters, NDRF personnel, and airport emergency crews battled intense flames for three hours before bringing the blaze under control. Wreckage is scattered over a 400-metre radius; responders have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) while the flight-data recorder (FDR) is still being located in smouldering debris. Black-Box Hunt The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has invited the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing specialists to assist. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, though full findings typically take a year. Possible Causes Under Probe • Bird strike or foreign-object ingestion on take-off • Catastrophic engine failure in Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 powerplant • Flight-control malfunction or erroneous sensor data • Runway excursion leading to structural damage before liftoff Investigators will examine maintenance logs, pilot duty schedules, and recent software updates to the Dreamliner’s electronic engine controls. Flight AI171: At a Glance • Route: Ahmedabad (AMD) → London Gatwick (LGW) • Aircraft age: 7 years, delivered 2018 • Captain: 14,800 flight hours, 4,200 on B787 • Weather: Clear skies, light winds, 32 °C Aviation Safety Record India’s last fatal commercial accident was the 2020 Calicut runway-overrun that killed 21. Including today’s tragedy, Air India has recorded eight fatal crashes since 1947, the most recent being the 2010 Mangalore disaster that claimed 158 lives. What Happens Next Families can call Air India’s toll-free helpline +91-22-2279-9000 for information. Passengers with bookings on AI171 and its codeshares will be reprotected on alternate flights. Travelers should expect heightened security checks and possible delays at all major Indian airports over the coming days. SEO Focus Keywords: India plane crash, Air India crash Ahmedabad, Boeing 787 Dreamliner accident, Flight AI171 news, DGCA investigation.