Ahmedabad Air India flight crash: 265 dead, massive fire fueled by 1.25 lakh litres of jet fuel

A devastating air tragedy struck on Thursday afternoon when Air India’s Boeing-787 Dreamliner, flight AI-171, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London. The aircraft plummeted into the BJ MBBS Hostel in the Meghaninagar area at 1:38 PM, leading to the death of 241 passengers and 24 medical students.

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Tragically, the massive inferno that followed the crash was triggered by the 1.25 lakh litres of aviation fuel the aircraft was carrying. Only one passenger is reported to have survived the crash, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the site soon after the incident. Speaking to the media, he expressed the nation's collective grief. “The entire country is in shock. We stand with the families of the victims in this hour of loss,” he said. Shah confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was informed within 10 minutes of the crash, and immediate directives were issued.

The Civil Aviation Department has launched a thorough investigation into the tragedy. The Dreamliner, capable of flying at 954 km/h, was operating near full fuel capacity, which intensified the post-crash fire and hindered rescue efforts.

Authorities continue to assess the extent of damage as rescue and identification efforts progress.