In the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 near Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday, four medical students and the wife of a doctor lost their lives, confirmed Dr. Mehul Shah, President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Gujarat chapter.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a doctor’s hostel shortly after take-off, causing devastation within the hospital campus. Speaking to the media, Dr. Shah said, “More than 100 doctors have reached the hospital campus to support the government. Unfortunately, we have lost four medical students and a doctor’s wife. But fortunately, we have saved more than 45 medical students in the hostel area.“
He also stated that the IMA is coordinating with state authorities, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi, Health Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi, and local hospital teams to ensure adequate relief efforts.
The ill-fated flight had 242 individuals on board, comprising 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 12 crew members. In total, 241 people perished, with only one survivor, a British national of Indian origin, who is currently under treatment.
Meanwhile, families of victims have arrived in Ahmedabad for DNA identification procedures. A relative from Pune told media, “As soon as we watched the news, his (deceased’s) mother figured out that her child was on the same flight. We got the confirmed news by yesterday afternoon. His father, mother, and elder brother have gone to Ahmedabad. The DNA sample of his elder brother has been taken.“
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a formal probe into the crash. Additionally, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety checks on Air India’s Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 fleets in light of this catastrophe.
Investigators have recovered the black box (Digital Flight Data Recorder) from the crash site, which is expected to provide crucial data to determine the cause of the deadly accident.
The entire medical fraternity and government machinery remain on high alert, working round-the-clock to manage the aftermath of the accident and ensure support to the families of the victims.