Photo Credit: NDTV
In a disaster that has shaken India’s aviation and medical fraternity to the core, an Air India Dreamliner crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel in Ahmedabad, killing six medicos and over 240 passengers and crew onboard. The crash, which occurred on the afternoon of June 12, 2025, is now being called India’s worst single-plane tragedy, leaving a total of 269 people dead and more than 60 others injured, many of them critically.
The Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed for London Gatwick, had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport when it plunged into the medical college campus barely minutes later. The plane lost altitude within seconds and crashed into the old boys’ hostel mess of BJ Medical College, one of Gujarat’s most prestigious government medical institutions.
Among the 28 people killed on the ground were five MBBS students and one postgraduate doctor, all of whom were having lunch in the hostel mess when the aircraft’s wreckage tore through the building. The wife of a senior cardiologist, who had been visiting the campus, also lost her life in the inferno that followed. Several others sustained third-degree burns and serious fractures, as the blast flattened portions of the dining area and adjacent hostel rooms.
A survivor from the ground, third-year MBBS student Arpit Desai, recounted the horror:
“We heard a thunderous noise and the next second, there was fire, debris, and screams. I saw my roommate lying lifeless. I still can’t believe I made it out.”
The death toll onboard the plane was 241, with only one survivor—Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian IT consultant. He miraculously escaped from seat 11A, located near the emergency exit. As per his statement from the hospital bed, “There was a sudden jolt. Alarms went off. Then flames. I don’t know how I got out. Everything was burning.”
The incident has caused nationwide grief and international concern. Investigations led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in collaboration with Boeing and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, are now focusing on a possible dual engine thrust failure just seconds after takeoff. Preliminary data from the cockpit voice recorder revealed a chilling final Mayday transmission: “Stalling, stalling…”
The Air India Dreamliner involved was part of the fleet operated by Tata Group’s recently privatised national carrier. In the wake of the crash, all Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating under Air India have been grounded for emergency inspection. The Tata Group has announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of each deceased passenger and pledged full medical coverage for the injured.
The crash has also reopened debates around aviation safety, urban planning near airport corridors, and the lack of emergency preparedness in educational institutions. BJ Medical College, which was established in 1871 and accommodates over 1,200 MBBS and postgraduate medical students, had long petitioned for infrastructural upgrades, including fire exits and disaster training. Students and staff had conducted mock drills only once in the past year—a statistic now under harsh scrutiny.
In an emotional statement, Gujarat’s Health Minister said,
“We have not just lost students. We’ve lost future doctors—our future healers. This is a black day for Gujarat and Indian medical education.”
Funeral processions for the deceased medicos drew hundreds of students, doctors, and alumni, all dressed in white coats as a mark of solidarity. Memorials and blood donation camps have been organised by medical colleges across the country. At BJ Medical College, a stone plaque will soon be installed to honour the students who lost their lives in the crash.
Online, hashtags like #BJMedicalCrash, #AirIndiaTragedy, and #MedicosWeLost are trending, with thousands expressing grief, anger, and demanding accountability. Many users pointed out the irony that those destined to save lives were so cruelly taken in a preventable tragedy.
As India mourns, the loss of these six young medicos has become symbolic of a deeper wound—a stark reminder that safety cannot be optional, and that behind every statistic is a dream that will never be fulfilled. The BJ Medical College tragedy is no longer just an aviation disaster; it is a national heartbreak.
Related Story: https://thedailypulse.in/2025/06/13/miracle-on-ai-171-the-man-who-jumped-from-the-sky/
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