A devastating crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft has left families across India and abroad grieving, as the London-bound flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all 241 on board. The accident not only claimed the lives of passengers and crew but also residents and staff of BJ Medical College hostel, where the aircraft went down, leaving a trail of sorrow and unanswered questions.
The aircraft, which took off at 1:38 pm on Thursday, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. College dean Dr. Minaxi Parikh confirmed that the crash occurred directly into the medical college hostel. Among the deceased were four medical students, the wife of a doctor, and several others believed to be mess staffers who remain missing.
Personal losses and haunting accounts
Cabin crew member Irfan Shaikh was one of the victims. His father, Sameer Shaikh, said the family received no information from the airline and only learned of the crash through Irfan’s colleague. “We rushed to Ahmedabad after hearing about it at 4 pm, but we’re in no mental frame of mind to talk anymore,” he shared, overwhelmed with grief.
Fifteen-year-old Akash Patni, a local resident whose family ran a tea cart outside BJ Medical College for 30 years, also died in the incident. His brother Kalpesh, who does odd jobs to support the family, said they have been told they would receive Akash’s body after two days, with no explanation for the delay.
Syed Javed Ali, a British national of Indian origin, had come to India for Eid and his mother’s heart surgery. His brother Imitiaz said Javed had planned to travel alone, but the family joined him later. While his sister took a direct flight to London, Javed and his wife Mariam, with their children Zayn and Amani, boarded the ill-fated Ahmedabad flight. Their remains are yet to be formally identified and require DNA testing.
Eyewitness horror and impact on locals
Local auto-rickshaw driver Rajeshbhai Patni witnessed the crash as he was dropping off passengers near the hostel. “The plane exploded on the roof, flames erupted. I ran for my life,” he recounted, now recovering from chest and leg injuries.
Another witness, coconut vendor Sandeep Datani, rushed towards the smoke but turned back after another explosion. Though he escaped physically unharmed, the psychological trauma remains.
Air India confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian passenger. The 12-year-old aircraft’s tragic end has left behind a growing outcry for answers, and families waiting in anguish.
