In a devastating turn of events, Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a residential block in the Meghani Nagar neighbourhood on June 12, striking the doctors’ hostel mess of BJ Medical College.
The aircraft, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, had taken off from Runway 23 at 1.38 pm IST but climbed to only about 625 feet before it lost communication.
A brief Mayday call was issued before it plummeted into the densely populated medical campus, unleashing a scene of fire, debris, and despair.
Eyewitnesses described multiple explosions, thick black smoke, and wreckage strewn across the hostel compound. The impact was swift and catastrophic; the aircraft tore through the lunch hall where dozens of interns and MBBS students had gathered for their midday break.
As reported by The Guardian, both officials and survivors estimate that between 30 and 50 young doctors were present in the hostel at the time of the crash. So far, at least 30 bodies have been recovered, while many more are feared to be buried beneath the debris.
Approximately 30 students have been critically injured and rushed to nearby hospitals. Rescue efforts remain ongoing.
Dr Kevlin Nirwan of BJ Medical College, speaking to Edexlive, confirmed the worst fears. “Many of our interns and postgraduate doctors are missing, and tragically, several have already lost their lives. Based on what we’ve seen, anywhere between 50 to 100 young doctors may have perished.”
The timing proved particularly cruel, lunch hour had filled the resident mess hall with young medical students and interns, brilliant minds who had dedicated their lives to healing others.
Dr Harshad Sharma of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) expressed the medical community's devastation, noting that families had sent their children to BJ Medical College to save lives, not to become victims of such a catastrophe.
The human cost extends beyond the aircraft's passengers to encompass an entire generation of medical professionals whose potential contributions to society were suddenly, tragically cut short.
Aviation experts have begun speculating about potential causes, with some suggesting a possible bird strike that may have prevented the aircraft from achieving proper takeoff velocity.
The 11-year-old Dreamliner, delivered in 2014, reportedly had a history of technical issues, though official investigations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are still in their preliminary stages.
Rescue teams, including multiple NDRF units, fire brigades, and ambulances, have cleared nearly 70–80% of the site. Authorities are treating the area as both a crash zone and mass casualty site. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) have launched a formal probe. Preliminary speculation hints at a possible bird strike or engineering fault, but the black boxes are still being analysed.
Dr Sharma on X said:
Prime Minister Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu are personally monitoring the situation. London Gatwick Airport, where the aircraft was scheduled to land at 6.25 pm local time, confirmed the crash and extended condolences. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and global leaders have joined in expressing solidarity.
As families wait in anguish and the nation mourns, the corridors of BJ Medical College, once filled with ambition and purpose, now echo with sirens and despair.