Air India flight crashes; debris in medical college campus

Debris of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171), which crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, was seen scattered around the hostel and residential quarters of doctors at the BJ Medical College premises

Ahmedabad: Debris of Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171), which crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon, was seen scattered around the hostel and residential quarters of doctors at the BJ Medical College premises.

Videos that went viral after the horrific air crash — among the worst in Gujarat’s history — also showed charred bodies in the debris. The Ahmedabad–London flight, with 242 passengers on board, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport.

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The area around the crash site is densely populated. The entire accident zone was cordoned off, and operations to rescue survivors and recover bodies were underway. The aircraft took off at 1:39 pm and crashed moments later into the hostel and residential quarters for doctors and staff of BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.

Part of the plane was seen jutting out from the five-storey building. “The plane was flying very low before it crashed,” eyewitness Haresh Shah told PTI. “As it hit the building, the sound was like a blast, and both the plane and the structure caught fire,” he said.

Local residents were the first to rush to the site and attempt to save passengers and people inside the building. Initial mobile footage showed charred bodies amid the wreckage. “The plane crashed into the hostel dining hall, where people were present. Many were injured and taken to hospital,” said another eyewitness.

Rescue efforts were ongoing, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G S Malik said. The Army, Border Security Force, local police, and State Reserve Police Force were assisting in the operation. Several vehicles parked on the hospital-college premises also caught fire.