In one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, crashed moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The London-bound Flight AI-171, with 232 passengers and 10 crew members, slammed into a doctors’ hostel at a nearby medical college, claiming multiple lives.

Official confirmed that one passenger, seated in 11A, miraculously survived the crash. The aircraft’s impact killed five medical students residing in the hostel. Visuals from the scene revealed harrowing destruction, with debris piercing the hostel’s dining hall wall, where uneaten food remained on plates.

There appear to be no survivors among the 242 passengers and crew aboard an Air India flight that crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, said Ahmedabad’s Police Commissioner G.S. Malik on Thursday.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as Flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, went down shortly after take-off at midday, plunging into a residential and commercial area in Meghaninagar.

“It appears there are no survivors from the plane crash,” Malik told The Associated Press, noting that “some local residents may also have perished” due to the crash’s impact on the densely populated area. “We are still verifying the exact number of casualties,” he added.

Local police informed Reuters earlier that over 100 bodies had been taken to a hospital in Ahmedabad, while rescue teams reported recovering 30 to 35 bodies from the crash site. Images shared on X by India’s Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) depicted the aircraft’s tail protruding from a building’s wall, with rescuers navigating charred debris and a fallen tree near a residential complex.

Air India confirmed that the flight carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. The airline did not disclose the crew’s nationalities. “Injured individuals are being rushed to nearby hospitals,” an Air India spokesperson told NBC News.

The flight departed at 1:10 p.m. IST (3:40 a.m. ET) and was due to arrive in London at 6:25 p.m. BST (1:25 p.m. ET). FlightRadar24 reported that the aircraft’s signal was lost seconds after take-off, at an altitude of approximately 625 feet (190 metres).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief on X, stating, “The tragedy has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. My thoughts are with all those affected in this tragic hour.”

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu called the incident “shocking and devastating” in a post on X. “I am personally overseeing the situation and have instructed aviation and emergency response agencies to act swiftly and in coordination. Rescue teams are mobilised, and we are ensuring medical aid and relief reach the site urgently,” he said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes as “devastating,” adding, “I am being regularly updated, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families during this distressing time.” Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles III is also being briefed on the situation.

Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, stated, “We are aware of initial reports and are working to gather more information.”