IndiGo passenger who witnessed Air India plane crash says, 'It looked like a forest fire'

The IndiGo passenger recounts witnessing the crash. (Right) Images from the scene depicted thick black smoke billowing into the sky, with parts of the aircraft resting on a building. (Image credit: ANI, AFP)

An IndiGo passenger awaiting a flight at Ahmedabad airport witnessed a horrifying scene unfold in the distance, later identified as the Air India plane crash that claimed the lives of over 200 people. The witness described the initial sight of the disaster as resembling "a forest fire."

The passenger, who spoke to news agency ANI, recounted their experience: "As I was going to board an IndiGo flight, I saw thick smoke coming out in the distance. Soon after boarding the aircraft, an announcement for a flight delay was made. Later, we got to know through the media that a flight had crashed."

#WATCH | Ahmedabad | "As I was going to board an Indigo flight, I saw thick smoke coming out in the distance. Soon after boarding the aircraft, an announcement for a flight delay was made. Later, we got to know through the media that a flight had crashed." pic.twitter.com/1Ha4Fcp6yD
ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025

The Air India flight AI171, bound for London's Gatwick Airport with 242 passengers and crew members on board, crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Images from the scene depicted thick black smoke billowing into the sky, with parts of the aircraft resting on a building. Other photographs showed scorched trees and a fire-blackened structure, with first responders hosing down the area.

Local residents also shared their accounts of the tragedy. One witness told news agency PTI, "I was at home when we heard a massive sound. When we went out to see what had happened, there was a layer of thick smoke in the air. When we came here, dead bodies and debris from the crashed aircraft were scattered all over." Harshit, a medical student, informed CNN-News18 that he was having lunch when the plane impacted the building next to his. His friend, who was at the crash site, has been admitted to hospital.

According to India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm from runway 23. It issued a Mayday call to ATC shortly after takeoff, but subsequently ceased responding to communications. The aircraft's signal was lost less than a minute after departure, at an altitude of 625 feet, before it began to descend rapidly, according to FlightRadar24 data. The DGCA stated, "Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site."

City Police Commissioner GS Malik indicated that it is likely that some passengers might have survived the plane crash. Of the 242 individuals on board, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were British, seven were Portuguese, and one was Canadian. All flights from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were suspended following the incident.

(With inputs from PTI)