Ahmedabad plane crash: PM Modi visits crash site and hospital

The government has launched an investigation into the fatal crash of the Air India plane

Last updated: June 13, 2025 | 09:25

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, sole survivor of the Air India flight 171 crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Rescue teams with sniffer dogs combed the crash site on June 13 of the London-bound passenger jet which ploughed into a residential area of India's Ahmedabad city, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.

Photo by NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL / AFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad on Friday following the tragic Air India crash of flight AI-171 en route to London Gatwick. The aircraft, which took off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, crashed shortly after departure, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The sole survivor is a British national of Indian origin.

PM Modi, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol, and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, inspected the crash site and met with injured survivors at the Civil Hospital.

The aircraft, piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, made a Mayday call but lost contact with Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff. Officials reported a large fire at the crash site due to the ignition of approximately 125,000 litres of fuel.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that survival was nearly impossible due to the intensity of the fire. Around 1,000 DNA tests are being conducted to identify victims, and the official death toll will be confirmed after the results are processed.