Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Dhami extended his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished for the speedy recovery of the sole survivor.
“I express my condolences to those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to those injured… May God give strength to the families of those who lost their lives in this incident,” Dhami said.
The Chief Minister also expressed grief over the untimely death of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was among the 241 fatalities in the devastating crash.
“Vijay Rupani was a very humble politician. He made a lot of contributions to Gujarat and the nation. His demise is an irreparable loss to the political fraternity and to the country,” Dhami remarked solemnly.
According to Air India, the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 aircraft (Flight AI 171) was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, when it crashed shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of 241 people, including 12 crew members.
The 12-year-old aircraft departed Ahmedabad at 13:38 IST from Runway 23 but issued a Mayday call soon after. Contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) was lost shortly thereafter. The aircraft crashed into a resident doctors’ hostel building just outside the airport perimeter, engulfing the area in thick black smoke, according to officials.
Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday that of the 242 persons onboard, only one passenger miraculously survived — a British national of Indian origin, who is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned Line Training Captain with over 8,200 flying hours, and assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had clocked 1,100 flying hours.
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹1 crore to the families of each deceased passenger.
Meanwhile, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a formal probe into the crash as per International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocols. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also offered assistance in the investigation.