Most devastating aviation accidents observed over the past quarter century.
Bombardier 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, tragically met its end in India on Thursday, with a devastating toll of 242 souls aboard Air India's plane. The grim news of no survivors has been confirmed, and authorities warn of casualties in the city of Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad's Police Commissioner G.S. Malik reported that the exact toll of casualties was yet to be determined by the authorities.
The flight carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, one Canadian national, and seven Portuguese nationals.
Join us as we delve into some of the most heart-wrenching plane accidents in the 21st century—excluding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
2014: MH17 Targeted in Eastern Ukraine
On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 suffered a harrowing fate over rebel-held eastern Ukraine, as it was shot down while traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 souls on board, including 193 Dutch nationals, perished in the disaster.
This year, the U.N. aviation agency placed the blame on Russia for the downing of the jetliner, a decision Russia dismissed as "biased."
2003: Iran Stricken by Tragedy
On Feb. 19, 2003, an Ilyushin Il-76, owned by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, met a grim fate near Kerman in southeast Iran. All 275 people on board were claimed by the tragic accident.
The aircraft vanished from radars an hour after takeoff, following a plea to airport control in Kerman for landing due to harsh weather conditions.
2001: The New York Disaster
On Nov. 12, 2001, American Airlines Airbus A300 plunged into the New York borough of Queens shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of all 260 on board and five people on the ground. The ill-fated flight was en route to Saint-Domingue in the Dominican Republic from New York's John F. Kennedy airport.
2018: The Algerian Catastrophe
On April 11, 2018, an Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from a military base south of Algiers, tragically claiming the lives of all 257 people on board. Among the casualties were mostly military personnel and their loved ones.
2014: MH370's Mysterious Disappearance
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished on its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, carrying 239 passengers. The Boeing 777-200 was never found, despite an extensive search operation in the southern Indian Ocean. This year, Malaysian authorities announced a new search for the missing plane, over a decade since its disappearance.
2009: Air France's Fateful Flight
On June 1, 2009, Air France Airbus A330 vanished over the Atlantic in a tumultuous region, after taking off from Rio de Janeiro en route to Paris, with 228 passengers and crew on board. The wreckage of the aircraft was unearthed two years later.
2002: The Taiwan Strait's Tragedy
On May 25, 2002, a China Airlines Boeing 747-200 collided with the Taiwan Strait, snuffing out the lives of all 225 passengers on board. The ill-fated flight was headed for Hong Kong, and the disaster occurred just 20 minutes after the aircraft took off from Taipei.
- Plane Crashes
While it's true that the list doesn't include every air disaster in the 21st century, these heart-wrenching tales serve as a reminder of the human cost of aviation mishaps. Events such as the September 11 attacks, while significant, are not typically classified as accidents. May the souls of all who have perished in these tragedies find peace.
- During the same year as the Air India incident, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was targeted and shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine, resulting in no survivors among the 298 passengers.
- February 2003 saw an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft owned by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps crash near Kerman in southeast Iran, resulting in the death of all 275 passengers.
- Tragedy struck again in November 2001 when an American Airlines Airbus A300 plunged into the New York borough of Queens, claiming the lives of all 260 on board and five people on the ground.
- In April 2018, an Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from a military base south of Algiers, resulting in the death of all 257 people on board.
