Kathmandu: A catastrophic aviation disaster struck Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Thursday afternoon as Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom, crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people and leaving only one survivor among the 242 on board.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the crash occurred at 1:40 pm local time. The aircraft had issued a 'May Day' distress call moments before losing altitude and bursting into flames. Though AFP could not independently verify the crash footage, videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft spiraling downward, engulfed in fire, before slamming into a building.

The flight carried 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, along with two pilots and 10 crew members. The crash site was a densely populated neighborhood housing doctors and their families. An AFP journalist at the scene, located between a hospital and a local horse camp, reported seeing charred bodies being pulled from the rubble while firefighters and emergency personnel struggled to contain the destruction.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes as people jumped from upper floors of the building to escape the inferno. A local doctor said the plane's nose struck a canteen where students were eating lunch, estimating 15 to 20 bodies were charred beyond recognition, while he and colleagues managed to rescue about 15 students.

While initial reports from police officials stated no survivors, the Gujarat health authority later confirmed that one individual had been rescued alive. So far, 204 bodies have been recovered, including both passengers and residents from the surrounding area. Authorities expect the death toll to rise due to the extensive destruction caused in the crash-affected zone.

The Indian aviation ministry has suspended all flights from the airport until further notice and has deployed all relevant aviation and emergency agencies for rapid, coordinated relief efforts. Military personnel have also been deployed to assist in rescue and recovery operations.

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran announced the activation of an emergency response center and a family support team to provide assistance to the families of victims. Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, said it is gathering more information and stands ready to assist in the investigation.

The crash is especially notable as it marks the first-ever fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art, long-haul aircraft known for its fuel efficiency and modern composite design. The aircraft can typically carry up to 330 passengers and is considered the flagship of Boeing’s wide-body fleet.

Both the United Kingdom and the United States have pledged to send air accident investigation teams to aid Indian officials in uncovering the cause of the crash.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, Air India's parent company, the Tata Group, announced a compensation package of 1 crore (approximately US$117,000) to the families of each of the deceased.