Air India Plane Crash: Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Among Dead, Says Report
Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari condole Rupani's death.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is among those who lost their lives in the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, according to reports.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed moments after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport. Flight AI-171 took off from Runway 23 at 1:38 p.m., but shortly after, it issued a distress call — a MAYDAY — and crashed in the Meghani Nagar area just outside the airport perimeter, exploding into a fiery blaze.
Rajkot: Relatives mourn at the residence of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Rajkot, Thursday, June 12, 2025. Rupani was among the passengers onboard the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad. (PTI Photo)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman condoled Rupani's death.
"He will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the development & welfare of his state," Singh said.
"Shocked at the demise of Shri. Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat—soft spoken, gentle and a committed leader. A big loss for BJP," said Sitharaman.
"His contributions to the state and the nation will always be remembered," Union minister Nitin Gadkari posted on X.
"This is a very sad incident. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. We have lost two-time former chief minister Vijay Rupani in the crash, which is very sad news for the BJP family," C R Paatil, jal shakti minister and chief of the party's state unit, said.
The plane was carrying 242 people — including 232 passengers and 10 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indians, 53 British nationals and a Canadian. The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
(With PTI inputs)
Read all updates on the Ahmedabad Plane Crash here.
