Ahmedabad plane crash: Death toll rises to 274; government forms high-level probe committee

An Air India aircraft with 242 people onboard crashed in the Indian state of Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12).

According to latest reports, at least 274 people have lost their lives in one of the most devastating aviation disasters in India. The fatalities include passengers, crew members aboard the flight AI 171, and several individuals on the ground.

Dozens injured, medical professionals killed

A part of the plane fell on top of the dining area of BJ Medical College, killing at least five medical students and injuring nearly 50.

According to Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, a national body that represents resident doctors across the country. He said, “Some of the injured are critical. We are in close contact with our peers in the hospital who are on a lookout for more people feared buried in the debris.”

Committee formed

In the aftermath of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash that took hundreds of lives, the ministry of civil aviation has announced the formation of a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disaster.

In a statement on X, the Ministry of Civil Aviation wrote, “A High Level Multi-Disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future.”

“The Committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future," it added.

In its order, the ministry of civil aviation said that the committee will publish its report within three months. The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies; conduct site inspections; interview crew, air traffic controllers and relevant personnel; collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved.

The aircraft, carrying 242 people — 230 passengers, two pilots, and 10 cabin crew, crashed into a medical college just seconds after departing from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick Airport on June 12 (Thursday).

Only one person, a British national of Indian origin, survived the accident. Among those killed was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani.