'Felt like an earthquake': Ahmedabad resident recounts Air India plane crash moment

The passenger plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off.

A resident living in a housing colony near the AI-171 crash site in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, recounted the moment, saying the impact felt like an earthquake. He added that they rushed to the scene immediately after the crash.

"When the crash happened, it felt like an earthquake. Immediately, we rushed to the site. "After hearing the loud sound from the crash, the public gathered nearby," he told ANI while recounting the moments of the crash.

Hariom Gandhi from the NDRF, who arrived at the AI-171 plane crash site, stated that six teams have been deployed and are actively carrying out operations on the ground. "Our six teams are working on the ground. We cannot give any numbers until the site is completely cleared," he said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA ) Gujarat said that its Gujarat unit is working in close collaboration with CM of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, Ministers Rushikesh Patel & Harsh Sanghavi, Health Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi, senior IAS officers, government stakeholders, and Civil Hospital authorities.

"In a swift response to the tragic Ahmedabad Flight crash incident, IMA Gujarat is providing full on-ground support at the incident site & Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. The IMA Gujarat team is working in close collaboration with CM of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, Ministers Rushikesh Patel & Harsh Sanghavi, Health Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi, senior IAS officers, government stakeholders, and Civil Hospital authorities as per their direct guidance to deliver the required medical aid & doctors' expertise," IMA said in a statement.

A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, have died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday.
The flight, which was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
The passenger plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off.

Miraculously, one person has survived the deadly crash, the airline authorities said, adding that the survivor was a British national of Indian origin.

The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.

Immediately after departing from Runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. An official stated that heavy black smoke was emanating from the accident site.
The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash.