AHMEDABAD, INDIA — Families are crying, waiting, and hoping for answers after one of the worst airplane crashes in years killed 279 people. The huge accident happened when an Air India plane, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into buildings on Thursday afternoon.
🔥 The plane suddenly sent out a mayday call—a serious emergency signal—just before it fell from the sky and exploded into a fireball as it slammed into homes. The back part of the airplane ended up sticking out of a hostel (a small hotel) where medical workers live.
So far, police say 279 bodies have been found. That includes passengers, crew, and people who were on the ground—at least 38 people on the ground also died when the plane hit their homes.
💔 Only 1 person survived out of the 242 people on the plane.
😭 Families in Tears, One Heartbreaking Story After Another
In the city of Ahmedabad, relatives of the victims are giving DNA samples so the police can match and identify the bodies. Some family members had to fly in from other countries just to help.
One grieving father, Anil Patel, was in tears when he said:
“I saw my child for the first time in two years. It was such a happy surprise. And now… there is nothing. Whatever the gods wanted has happened.”
He had just spent time with his son and daughter-in-law. They were heading back on that very plane.
🌍 Who Were the People on the Plane?
There were:
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169 Indian passengers
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53 British passengers
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7 Portuguese passengers
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1 Canadian passenger
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12 crew members
The victims included all kinds of people, from a famous politician to a young teenager who sold tea to help his family.
😲 The One Who Lived
The only person who made it out alive is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen. From his hospital bed, he told reporters:
“I thought I was going to die. But then I opened my eyes—and I was still alive.”
No one understands how he survived such a horrible crash.
🕵️ What Caused the Crash?
Right now, investigators are working hard to figure out why the plane crashed just after taking off—it had only flown about 100 meters (as tall as a 30-story building) before it went down.
So far, they’ve found the plane’s flight data recorder, also called a black box. This special box holds important information that could help explain what went wrong. A second black box is still missing, and forensic teams are searching for it.
✈️ Boeing, the American company that made the plane, said they are helping and supporting Air India during the investigation. This is believed to be the first-ever crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, making it even more shocking.
❓ What Happens Now?
The official number of victims won’t be final until all DNA matches are made. Investigators will keep looking at the wreckage, checking the black boxes, and asking how such a new and advanced plane could suddenly fall from the sky.
The world is watching, and many families are still holding their breath—waiting for answers, and hoping for peace.
