Hours after the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the entire country is in shock and stands with the kin of those who have lost their lives. Addressing the media, he said that Air India flight AI171 crashed in the afternoon today, and several passengers have lost their lives. He said that an Air India flight AI-171 crashed, and many passengers are feared dead. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members, he further added.
#WATCH | Air India Plane Crash | Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “This afternoon, Air India flight AI-171 crashed and many passengers are feared dead. The entire nation is grieving and is standing together with the bereaved families… The central government… pic.twitter.com/HTy00BWNVy
— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025
The Union Home Minister, giving details about the incident, said that the plane carried almost 125,000 litres of fuel, and due to the high temperature, there was no chance of saving anyone. Shah further said that he visited the crash site and that the retrieval of the dead bodies is almost complete.
Amit Shah further added that the family members in foreign countries are also informed and that 1000 DNA tests will be done. He also said that the DNA samples of the dead bodies have been collected, and the bodies will be handed over after the DNA tests.
Speaking about the review meeting, he said that every aspect was discussed and that the aviation minister has instructed that the investigation be carried out rapidly. Shah also thanked all the agencies involved in the rescue and relief work for their swift and coordinated efforts.
“I also extend my heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. I must say that an accident is, by nature, unpredictable and cannot always be prevented. However, the true test of an administration’s alertness—available 24/7, 365 days a year—comes during such unfortunate incidents…,” he added.
According to Air India, of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The other 12 people on board were two pilots and 10 crew members. The pilot issued a ‘Mayday’ distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff at 1.39 pm, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said. The search was also on for the aircraft’s black box — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — for clues to understand what happened in the last crucial moments of the doomed flight to London’s Gatwick airport. The 11-year-old aircraft could be seen from miles away, losing altitude rapidly and combusting in a fiery blaze that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.
