Air India plane crash site
Share this @internewscast.com
Investigators scoured the location of one of India‘s deadliest aviation incidents, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the sole surviving passenger on Friday. This was a day after an Air India flight plummeted, resulting in the death of 241 people aboard and several others on the ground.

DNA analysis was underway to identify bodies that were largely charred and unrecognizable.

Air India plane crash site
Parts of an Air India plane that crashed on Thursday are seen on top of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

More casualties are expected to be discovered as the search at the crash site continues. There was no update on the recovery of the black boxes — the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.

The aircraft crashed into a building housing a medical college hostel, igniting flames that claimed the lives of several students, in the city which is Gujarat’s capital, the home state of Modi.

“We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words,” Modi said on social media after visiting the site.

“We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come.”

Meanwhile, the Phuket International Airport in southern Thailand said on Friday it received a report that a pilot of Air India flight AI 379, which was bound for New Delhi, found a bomb threat message shortly after the morning flight took off.

Kalpeshbhai Patni, whose 14-year-old brother was killed in the plane crash. (AP)
Air India plane crash site
A relative of a victim of the Air India plane crash is comforted as she breaks down at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

The plane requested an emergency landing back at Phuket and all 156 passengers were evacuated before authorities began an inspection of the plane, the airport said. The inspection results were not immediately announced.

The survivor was seen in television footage meeting Modi at the government hospital where he was being treated for burns and other injuries.

Viswashkumar Ramesh told India’s national broadcaster he still can’t believe he was alive. He said the aircraft seemed to become stuck immediately after takeoff. He said then the lights came on, and right after that it accelerated but seemed unable to gain height before it crashed.

Air India plane crash site
This photo shared by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X shows him inspecting the site of a plane crash in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state, Friday, June 13, 2025 (Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X via AP)

He said the side of the plane where he was seated fell onto the ground floor of a building and there was space for him to escape after the door broke open. He unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the plane.

“When I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive,” he said.

Investigation into the cause and identification of victims

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating, and the US participants in the probe are expected to include people from the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and General Electric.

Medics are conducting DNA tests to identify those killed, the president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, Akshay Dongardiv, said. Meanwhile, grieving families gathered outside the Civil hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Two doctors at the hospital said the bodies of four medical students killed on the ground after the plane crash were handed to their families.

Air India plane crash site
Health workers and volunteers carry the body of a victim of an airplane that crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, on Friday, June 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

They said at least 30 other injured students were still admitted in the hospital and at least four of them were critical.

Modi held a meeting with senior officials on Friday and met some of those injured on the ground during the hospital visit.

Thursday’s Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft.

According to experts, there are currently around 1200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation.

Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control. Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes, redesigned its branding and livery and absorbed smaller airlines Tata held stakes in.

Eyewitness accounts describe damage

Residents living in the vicinity, who were among the first to rush to the crash site and help with rescue, described the scale of damage like they had never seen.

“In the beginning, I couldn’t understand anything, it was only smoke everywhere. We could see some small parts (of the plane) burning,” Indrajeet Singh Solanki said.

Solanki said he and many others helped the injured people and rushed them to hospitals. “We had only one aim: to save lives no matter what happens,” he said.

The tragedy has left him shaken. “It will be hard to sleep for the next few days at least,” Solanki said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Millions of Australians are expecting an inheritance and feel dependent on the windfall to achieve major financial goals such as buying a house or retiring.

Many Australians depend on an inheritance to meet significant financial objectives

Many Australians are counting on an inheritance to help reach significant financial…
SA toxic algal bloom

Urgent Plea for National Disaster Declaration as Seafood Industry Faces Devastation

South Australian fishers are grappling with a severe economic downturn as the…
Eastern Province Police Commissioner Robertson Mweemba said the victims, a 68-year-old and a 67-year-old, were attacked by a female elephant that was with a calf at South Luangwa National Park (pictured)

British Tourist and Friend Tragically Killed by Elephant During Sunrise Safari Walk

A British tourist and her friend from New Zealand  were killed by a…
More than 200 firefighters are struggling to tackle an out-of-control wildfire on Crete — Greece's largest island and a tourist hotspot — as authorities order mass evacuations.

Raging Wildfires in a Popular Greek Tourist Destination Lead to Mass Evacuations

Over 200 firefighters are battling an uncontrollable wildfire on Crete, Greece’s largest…
Rod Stewart has candidly opened up about how his split from his ex-wife Rachel Hunter (both pictured in 1998) 'tore him to shreds'

Rod Stewart, 80, Reflects on Heartbreaking Split from Ex-Wife Rachel Hunter, 55

Rod Stewart has candidly opened up about how his split from his…
Sam Neill has revealed his son repeatedly farted on Princess Diana at Jurassic Park's premiere in London back in 1993

Sam Neill Shares Amusing Story of His Son Farting on Princess Diana at the Jurassic Park Premiere

Sam Neill has revealed his son repeatedly farted on Princess Diana at…

Elderly Targeted by ‘Fly-in, Fly-out’ Criminals in $3 Million ‘Blessing Scams’

NSW police have charged two people over their alleged involvement in a…

How Can Antarctica Be Shielded from the Impact of Increasing Tourism?

The surge in tourists visiting Antarctica has been remarkable. From less than…
Police say 'FIFO criminal' syndicate is behind spiritual blessing scams

Police Reveal ‘Fly-In, Fly-Out’ Crime Syndicate Behind Spiritual Blessing Scams

A woman has been charged over an alleged spiritual blessings scam that…
Kyiv, Ukraine

Kyiv Faces Intense Missile and Drone Attack in Largest Strike Since War’s Onset

Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday, marking…
The vertical stabilisers of Qantas planes at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport, from the left: a Boeing B737-838 plane, registration VH-XZD; a Boeing B787-9 plane, registration VH-ZNE; and an Airbus A380-842 plane, registration VH-OQB. In the background on the left is a fourth Qantas plane, a Boeing B737-838, registration VH-XZH. In the far background is the international terminal.  In the foreground are navigational light structures at the northern end of the runway.  This image was taken from Nig

Qantas Is Sending an Important Email to Six Million Australians: Here’s What to Expect

Qantas customers can expect to receive details on what data was stolen…
A bold bid has been launched to bring US President Donald Trump to Queensland for next year's Quad leaders summit.

Premier’s Ambitious Proposal to Invite Donald Trump to Australian State

A bold bid has been launched to bring US President Donald Trump…