A London-bound Air India plane with 242 people on board crashed shortly after take-off in India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, erupting in a fireball after it came down on a densely populated part of the city.
Police said that at least 290 people had died and that there appeared to be one survivor on board the jet. The plane crashed into a hostel used by local doctors. The aircraft's tail was left sticking out of the building.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed at 1.39pm (12.09pm UAE time) from runway 23. It gave a “mayday” call, but there was no response after that.
The plane was heading to London's Gatwick Airport and had been due to land at 6.25pm UK time.
Air India confirmed Flight 171 had been involved in a “tragic accident” and crashed near the airport, which is operated by India's Adani Group conglomerate. It was shut with all flights “suspended until further notice”, the operator said.
Mobile phone footage taken from a rooftop showed the plane with its nose raised flying low over the city before hitting the ground and bursting into flames, sending heavy smoke across the city of eight million people.
Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national from Leicester, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash and was sitting in seat 11A. He was seen in video footage walking unsteadily from the crash site and has “no idea” how he escaped the plane, according to relatives.
“We were just shocked as soon as we heard it,” said relative Nayan Kumar Ramesh. “He said 'I have no idea how I exited the plane'.”
The crash site was in an area between Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and the city's Ghoda Camp neighbourhood.
“With profound sorrow, I confirm that Air India Flight 171 operating Ahmedabad [to] London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today,” Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said. “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.”
An emergency centre has been set up and a support team is available for families seeking information, he added.
Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said that he had called Mr Chandrasekaran to offer the company's full support, adding Boeing stands ready to support an investigation being led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. Boeing said it would defer to provide information about the flight.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad,” Mr Ortberg said.
Air India said of the 242 people on board, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew, there were 169 from India, 53 from Britain, seven from Portugal and one from Canada. Eleven children were understood to be on board.
Rescue workers said that at least 30 to 35 bodies had been recovered from the crash site and that more people were trapped. Medical students were eating in the dining area of the state-run BJ Medical College hostel when the plane crashed.
City police commissioner GS Malik, speaking before it emerged one passenger had walked away from the wreckage, said there “appears to be no survivor in the crash”. He added: “And since the plane has fallen on an area which was residential and had some offices, there are more casualties as well.”
Air India owner Tata Sons said it was “deeply anguished” by the crash and would cover the medical expenses of those injured as well as pay one crore ($133,600) to the families of each person who died.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the crash as “heartbreaking beyond words”.
The UK government would provide “all the support that it can”, cabinet minister Lucy Powell said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating. I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
President Sheikh Mohamed said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic plane accident in Ahmedabad today.” He said the thoughts of everyone in the UAE were with Mr Modi and the people of India, “and we offer our heartfelt condolences to all those affected”.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he had offered to help India with the recovery and called the crash “terrible”. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will lead a team of US investigators to India to assist the AAIB with its investigation.
“It’s a big country, a strong country, and they’ll handle it, I’m sure, but I let them know that anything we can do will be over there immediately,” he said.
India's Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “shocked and devastated” at the crash. His “thoughts and prayers are with all those on board and their families”, he added.
“I am personally monitoring the situation and have directed all aviation and emergency response agencies to take swift and co-ordinated action,” Mr Kinjarapu said. “Rescue teams have been mobilised, and all efforts are being made to ensure medical aid and relief support are being rushed to the site.”
Fatal crashes
Saurabh Bhatnagar told Indian news TV channel New Delhi Television the incident appeared to involve “multiple bird hits” that knocked out the engines.
He said: “The take-off was perfect and just short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift.”
He added that footage showed the plane “came down in a controlled fashion”.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said the last signal from the plane had been received only seconds after take-off.
It said the aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB. Boeing said it was “working to gather more information” on the incident. The US manufacturer, which has seen its reputation dented after a series of safety concerns, saw its stock slide about 8 per cent in early US trading following the crash before recovering slightly.
It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, which began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said.
India has suffered a series of fatal air crashes, including a 1996 disaster when two jets collided mid-air over New Delhi, killing about 350 people.
In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and burst into flames at Mangalore airport in south-west India, killing 158 of the 166 passengers and crew on board.
An Air India Boeing 747 flying from Montreal to London crashed into the sea off Ireland in June 1985, killing all 329 people on board.
An Indian commission determined that militant Sikhs had planted a bomb in baggage being carried by the plane.
The last fatal plane crash in India was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm, when 21 people were killed.
The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a “table-top” runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground.
Phenomenal growth
India's airline industry has boomed in recent years, with Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, last month calling the growth “nothing short of phenomenal”.
The growth of its economy has made India and its 1.4 billion people the world's fourth-largest air market – domestic and international – with IATA projecting it will become the third biggest in the decade.
The formerly state-owned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara – a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – last year.
Air India ordered 100 more Airbus planes last year after a giant contract in 2023 for 470 aircraft – 250 Airbus and 220 Boeing.
India's domestic air passenger traffic reached a milestone last year by “surpassing 500,000 passengers in a single day”, according to India's Ministry of Civil Aviation.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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The five pillars of Islam
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Racecard
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The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Elvis
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
