On ground, Ahmedabad medical college hostel bore brunt of Air India plane crash

Ayush, a resident doctor at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, said the crash sparked chaos at the college and many of their friends and juniors were seriously injured

Published on: Jun 12, 2025, 17:46:17 IST

By Ridhima Gupta

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Scores of students were having lunch at the mess of the BJ Medical College hostel when a part of the London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 people hit the building after crashing minutes after taking off from the nearby Ahmedabad airport.

The rear of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane following the crash. (REUTERS)

Ayush, a resident doctor at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, said the crash sparked chaos at the college in Meghani Nagar. “Our friends and juniors have been seriously injured and are being treated at the Civil Hospital now,” said Ayush.

Resident students said the mess caters to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) resident doctors from nearby hostels. “Since the Civil Hospital is close by, there are multiple hostels around the area where both UG and PG students stay,” said Dr Dhruvit, a PG student.

Dhruvit said the crash coincided with the lunch timings between 12:30 and 2:30pm. “...UG students from nearby hostels go there. When the incident occurred, there were around 150–200 people inside the mess, including resident doctors and mess workers.”

A third resident doctor said a large number of students and mess staff were injured. “Those who have been injured have suffered both burns and other serious injuries,” said the third doctor.

He added that they were getting panic calls from families and friends.

The medical college authorities did not immediately provide any confirmation about the casualties.

The plane headed for Gatwick Airport crashed in a residential area near the airport. A portion of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was perched atop the hostel building. Visuals showed the plane taking off and fire rising into the sky seconds later over a residential area. Thick black smoke rose into the sky from the plane debris on fire

The plane took off at 1.39pm and gave a “Mayday” call, signalling an emergency. There was no response from the aircraft thereafter. The crash prompted the suspension of flight operations from the Ahmedabad Airport.

It is the first such crash in India since 2020 when an Air India Express plane overshot a tabletop runway at Kerala’s Kozhikode, skidded off the runway, plunged into a valley nose-first, leaving 21 passengers dead.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ridhima Gupta
Ridhima Gupta is a Principal Correspondent at Hindustan Times, where she covers healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and public health policy. Her reporting centers on Delhi’s major hospitals (AIIMS, Safdarjung, Lok Nayak), the state health department, and emerging medical trends. Ridhima is particularly interested in reporting on healthcare issues through the lens of women, children, and persons with disabilities. Her work often explores the intersection of healthcare and public policy, examining how these factors shape access health care. Based in New Delhi, many of her reports have led to direct government action over the years, in different city. Earlier this year, she completed a media training workshop on the Impact of Extreme Heat on Health, organised by the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), further strengthening her interest in reporting on the intersection of climate change and public health. A postgraduate from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Ridhima has around a decade of experience in journalism. She began her career as a trainee television reporter with Mirror Now in Mumbai and has since worked across multiple cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi, contributing to both print and broadcast newsrooms. She is a recipient of the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022) for her reporting on education, disability, and women’s issues. Before joining Hindustan Times, Ridhima worked with The Times of India, New Indian Express and News18. A native of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, Ridhima completed her undergraduate studies in Biotechnology. And when she is not working as a journalist she likes to paint and go on nature hikes.Read More

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