A postgraduate student who was at the scene said the official number of deaths in the hospital will be shared by the medical administration.
Published Jun 13, 2025 | 3:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 13, 2025 | 3:02 PM
The interior of one of the hostels in BJ Medical College, which was destroyed following the plane crash.
Synopsis: BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar was engulfed in flames shortly after the crash of the Air India flight near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, burning down three of the five hostel blocks. The hospital admitted 48 students; four of them are in the ICU, and one student is still missing.
Rescue and relief operations continued amid mounting grief on Friday, 13 June, a day after an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed into the hostel complex of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. The London-bound flight AI-171, carrying 242 people, went down minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 pm on Thursday, killing 241 people on board. Only one passenger — a British national of Indian origin — survived.
The crash site — the UG mess and super-speciality hostel building of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar — was engulfed in flames shortly after the impact, burning down three of the five hostel blocks, said a postgraduate (PG) student who was at the scene. He added that the official number will be shared by the medical administration, probably by Friday evening.
“We have admitted 48 students; four of them are in the ICU, and one student is still missing,” the PG student told South First. “There were around 100 MBBS students in the mess, and the building included not just students but also families of super-speciality residents. Three students are confirmed dead. Two family members of a neurosurgeon — one of them a six-month pregnant woman — have died. Most of the burn injuries were not sustained by students in the mess, but by residents of the building.”
The PG student, who is an orthopaedic junior doctor and lives in the same hostel, said that he lost all his original documents and personal belongings in the fire.
“That can be replaced, but many of us are devastated about the people we’ve lost. We’re still working in the hospital while mourning.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and reviewed the scale of destruction.
“The scene of devastation is saddening,” PM Modi posted on X. “Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy.”
Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy. pic.twitter.com/R7PPGGo6Lj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 13, 2025
He was accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and senior officials.
On Thursday evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting with Civil Aviation and Gujarat officials. Shah confirmed that DNA testing is underway to identify the victims.
The Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) are leading this effort, with samples being collected from family members arriving from abroad.
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a formal probe as per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines. The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced that it will send a team to assist in the investigation.
“The NTSB will be leading a team of US investigators travelling to India to assist the AAIB with its investigation into the crash,” the agency said.
The aircraft’s tail section was lodged atop the building, and debris, including parts of the fuselage, was strewn across the smouldering ruins. Several people had reportedly jumped from the upper floors of the hostel to escape the flames.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson reached Ahmedabad on Friday morning, and the airline has set up Friends & Relatives Assistance Centres at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Gatwick airports to support victims’ families. Emergency helplines have also been opened:
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of the deceased.
“We will also cover medical expenses of the injured and support the rebuilding of BJ Medical College’s hostel,” said Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.
Of the 242 people onboard, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India had earlier confirmed.
FAIMA (Federation of All India Medical Association) has appealed to the public to remain calm, donate blood, and refrain from contacting hospital staff directly to allow medical teams to focus on emergency care.
The mishap is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent memory. Rescue and identification efforts are ongoing.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
