PM Modi visits Air India crash site, orders full probe into India’s deadliest aviation disaster

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 13 visited the crash site and Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the only survivor — 28-year-old Vishwaskumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A — is fighting for his life. Modi also held a high-level meeting with state officials, directing immediate relief measures and ordering a full-scale investigation.

In a catastrophe that has shocked the world, an Air India Dreamliner carrying 242 people plunged into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing at least 265 people — making it the deadliest aviation disaster in over a decade.

The ill-fated Flight AI171 was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a densely populated residential block in Meghaninagar, unleashing a fireball that engulfed both the aircraft and the building it struck. Rescue teams described scenes of utter devastation, with temperatures at the crash site soaring to over 1,000°C, fueled by more than 1.25 lakh litres of jet fuel.

Among the dead were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. The crash also claimed the life of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The hostel, struck during lunch hour, was packed with students and staff, significantly adding to the ground fatalities.

So far, only five victims — two each from Gujarat and Rajasthan, and one from Madhya Pradesh — have been formally identified, and their bodies returned to their families. A forensic team and a medical task force of nearly 80 doctors are working round-the-clock at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to complete the grim process.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation confirmed that the aircraft sent a Mayday distress call moments before disappearing from radar. A formal probe has been launched by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, in coordination with global aviation authorities under ICAO norms.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg issued a statement expressing deep condolences and announced that a team of technical experts will assist Indian investigators. This crash is the first ever involving the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner since its introduction to commercial service in 2011.

Reactions poured in from across the globe. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed close coordination between the UK Foreign Office and Indian authorities. US President Donald Trump called the incident “horrific” and offered full support to India in its response.

Meanwhile, Tata Group — which owns Air India — announced ₹1 crore compensation for each bereaved family, full medical coverage for the injured, and pledged to help rebuild the devastated college infrastructure.

As investigators sift through the wreckage and families begin to receive the remains of their loved ones, the nation mourns a tragedy that will be etched in aviation history.