Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Among Nearly 200 Killed in Air India Flight AI‑171 Crash Near Ahmedabad
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was confirmed dead in the crash of Air India Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, which plummeted into a residential and medical college hostel area near Ahmedabad Airport just minutes after take-off on June 12 .
Flight AI‑171 departed Ahmedabad at 13:39 IST from Runway 23 but issued a mayday call moments later before losing all contact with air traffic control . The aircraft crashed into the Meghani Nagar neighbourhood, sparking a massive inferno visible from surrounding locales .
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik said at least 204 bodies have been recovered, including both passengers and residents on the ground, and more than 50 injured are in hospital . The lone known survivor is a British national who escaped with serious injuries after jumping from an emergency exit seat (11A) .
The victim count has risen to nearly 290, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in India in decades—and the first fatal Boeing 787 crash worldwide . Ground fatalities include at least five individuals residing in the hostel struck by the plane .
Rupani, who served as Gujarat’s Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021, was travelling in Business Class (“Z” category), according to his booking records . BJP leaders, including state president C.R. Patil, expressed profound grief, calling it a “tragic incident” and mourning the former CM’s passing .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as “heartbreaking beyond words” and ordered full assistance for rescue efforts . King Charles III and British PM Keir Starmer have also expressed condolences, while Canada and the UK are coordinating consular support .
Investigators from India’s AAIB, Boeing, GE Aerospace, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch are on-site. Initial findings indicate the aircraft climbed less than 230 feet with landing gear still deployed—an abnormal configuration—and crashed within 30 seconds of take-off .
Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport briefly closed but has since resumed limited operations. Hospitals are working with DNA samples to identify victims, while Tata Group—owner of Air India—has pledged ₹1 crore for each deceased passenger, coverage of medical costs, and funding for hostel reconstruction .
India’s last major aviation disaster was the 2020 Air India Express crash in Kozhikode. This tragedy, involving a wide-body aircraft in a populated area, highlights critical concerns over flight safety, airport expansion, and emergency preparedness.
