Ahmedabad plane crash: Air India flight lost signal at 625 feet, within a minute of takeoff

NEW DELHI: An Air India aircraft bound for London crashed in a densely populated area near Ahmedabad's Meghaninagar locality on Thursday, minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The incident occurred around 2.00 pm .According to data from flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, signal from the aircraft, operating as Flight AI171 to London Gatwick, was lost at at an altitude of just 625 feet, less than a minute after takeoff.The aircraft crashed into a residential area, causing a massive fire and panic among locals. Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the crash site."We are acquiring details about casualties," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai.

While the exact number of injured or deceased is yet to be confirmed, several injured individuals have been rushed to the city civil hospital.Fire officer Jayesh Khadia confirmed that multiple fire tenders were deployed immediately to bring the blaze under control. Emergency response teams, including the police, fire brigade, and ambulances, launched intensive rescue and evacuation efforts.Air India released an official statement on X: "Flight AI171, operating Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, was involved in an incident today, 12 June 2025.

At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates at the earliest on our website and our X handle."Union Home minister Amit Shah has spoken with Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and other senior officials, assuring full central assistance in handling the crisis.Further updates on the cause of the crash, casualties, and passenger list are awaited.