An Air India aircraft operating between Ahmedabad and London’s Gatwick airport crashed into a residential area near the Ahmedabad airport minutes after take-off on Thursday afternoon. Social media has been flooded with harrowing videos and pictures, and developing reports of the incident involving the flight that had 242 people on board.
A mother’s post on X, sharing a heart-wrenching account of the panic that unfolded, has caught the internet’s attention. In the post, Nandini, who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the platform, recounts the terrifying moment she believed it was her son’s flight that had crashed. She wrote that her son was travelling from Delhi to London on an Air India flight.
“My son called to say bye as his Air India flight from Delhi to London was preparing for takeoff. As always, I asked him to message me as soon as he lands — no matter how late,” she wrote.
“Moments later, I switched on the TV and was met with devastating news: an Air India flight to London had crashed. In those heart-stopping seconds before I learned it wasn’t his flight, my legs gave way and my heart sank like never before,” she added.
In the same post, the woman extended her condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy. “To the families who have suffered this unimaginable loss — my thoughts and prayers are with you. I have no words for your grief. To those who survived — your life is nothing short of a miracle. May you have the strength to heal,” she wrote.
See the post here:
My son called to say bye as his Air India flight from Delhi to London was preparing for takeoff. As always I asked him to message me as soon as he lands – no matter how late.
Moments later, I switched on the TV and was met with devastating news: an Air India flight to London had…
— Nandini 🇮🇳 (@NAN_DINI_) June 12, 2025
As per Air India, the flight AI-171 had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national on board. Air India has also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number, 1800 5691 444, to provide more information.
