Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed the media following the Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in over 200 fatalities and left 41 injured. The flight was headed to London and went down shortly after take-off, crashing into a residential doctors’ hostel and causing major damage. The Indian Medical Association Gujarat confirmed the deaths of three MBBS students. Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced a compensation of ₹1 crore for each deceased passenger’s family.

Shah said that within ten minutes of the incident, the Union Government was informed and coordination began between the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the Home Department, and Civil Aviation authorities. “The Prime Minister personally called to oversee the situation,” Shah noted, adding that joint rescue efforts were immediately launched with state and central agencies involved. Central Armed Police Forces were also roped in to support ongoing rescue operations.

According to Shah, of the 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, one person has survived. “One survivor has been confirmed, whom I met personally,” he said. The individual is currently receiving medical treatment. Shah added that several passengers are feared dead, but the final death count can only be confirmed after DNA testing, as many bodies were unidentifiable due to the intense fire. Meanwhile Air India also changed its display picture to a black dot on social media.

Air India putting black DP is an absolute cheap social media trick. Absolutely unnecessary!

— Frost Queen (@FQ_8772) June 12, 2025

Explaining the extent of the destruction, Shah said, “The temperature soared at such a high level in the plane because of the burning fuel that the chance to save anyone was slim.” He reiterated that DNA matching with the families of the victims is essential to determine the final casualty figure. Both central and state governments are jointly working to complete the identification process and support affected families.

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