Air India crash: Plane wreckage ripped apart medical hostel as students lunched
Footage and images capture the aftermath of the Air India plane crash in a residential area near Ahmedabad Airport, showing parts of the aircraft strewn across a medical college and its dining room where students were taking a lunch break.
Thursday 12 June 2025 14:38, UK
Images and video have captured the aftermath of the Air India plane crash in a residential area near Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.
Footage shows what appears to be part of the aircraft's tail wedged into the roof of a building in Meghaninagar.
Crowds can be seen surrounding the multi-storey building - a medical facility - and looking up at the wreckage.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into BJ Medical College Hostel shortly after take-off at 1.38pm.
India plane crash latest: Follow live updates
Images also show parts of the plane in the building, including a food hall, where medical students were having lunch.
One photograph from inside the complex shows rows of dining tables with thalis (steel plates) containing meals, and food and drink spilled all over the floor.
Beyond the tables is wreckage of the aircraft on the floor, surrounded by a crowd.
At the end of the room there is a gaping hole where part of the rear of the plane has crashed through.
Read more:
What we know so far
Moments before Air India plane crash
Footage from inside shows where the landing gear of the aircraft has become wedged, and what appears to be a balcony that looks down on the floor below to masses of debris.
As well as the 'Royal Mess' food hall, the plane also struck the Atulyam Hostel which houses DM (Doctorate of Medicine) students and MCh (Master of Chirurgiae) students - those pursuing a degree in surgery.
Video taken outside shows a smouldering piece of wreckage with locals and firefighters at the scene with debris and rubble strewn across the area.
Aviation expert Julian Bray told Paste BN he understands the pilot managed to make a mayday call, meaning the crew was aware of a problem before the crash.
Read more: Analysis: Crash a catastrophic one-off or part of wider Dreamliner problem?
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Air India said 242 people were on the flight. Passengers included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. India's CNN News18 TV channel said there 12 crew on the plane.
India's prime minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X: "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.
"It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it."
Indian broadcaster NDTV reported he was headed to the scene.