- By Narendra Ahir
- Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- In a trembling voice, she quickly ran to the window and looked outside.
- They felt it was not safe to stay inside. They thought that the cylinder had burst. The women then took the stairs to go down.
- The incident was also Air India’s first crash since the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, acquired the airline in 2022.
Jagran Correspondent | Ahmedabad: Recalling the tragedy of the Ahmedabad plane crash in June 2025, Manjulaben Rameshbhai Thakor spoke to Jagran about the terrifying day that changed her life forever. On June 12, 2025, 260 people lost their lives after Air India flight AI-171 crashed within minutes after takeoff. Manjulaben was cooking in the kitchen when the disaster struck.
Terrifying Moments
Speaking to Jagran, she shared her horrifying experience. Manjulaben described how the crash changed everything around her within moments. "Suddenly, I heard a loud and terrifying sound," Manjulaben recalled. "The noise was so deafening, I initially thought a gas cylinder had burst somewhere nearby, " she said.
In a trembling voice, she quickly ran to the window and looked outside. Opening the windows, she saw flames of fire. "There was fire everywhere; smoke was spreading across the area," she said. They felt it was not safe to stay inside. They thought that the cylinder had burst. The women then took the stairs to go down.
Describing the chaos during their descent, she added, "It felt as if a sudden landslide had occurred. The soil shook, utensils and household items started crashing down, and there was blinding dust everywhere." Amidst the frantic rush to safety, Manjulaben suffered a minor injury to her head.
One Of The Biggest Crashes
The June 2025 accident is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787, though a number of safety issues related to the aircraft had been previously reported worldwide. The incident was also Air India’s first crash since the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, acquired the airline in 2022. The parent firm said it would pay 1 crore Indian rupees (about $115,000 at 2025 rates) as compensation to the families of those who died in the crash, including victims on the ground; the final payout will be governed by international convention and Indian law.