In a devastating update from the Ahmedabad plane crash, BJP Gujarat President C.R. Patil has confirmed the death of former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was onboard the ill-fated Air India flight AI 171.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed just minutes after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, went down in a residential area near a medical college, triggering a massive blaze and heavy casualties.
“Vijaybhai Rupani was onboard the flight. It is with great sorrow that we confirm he has not survived,” CR Patil said in a brief statement.
This tragic confirmation comes amid ongoing rescue and recovery efforts at the crash site. The flight had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian citizen, along with 12 crew members.
Rupani, a senior BJP leader and former CM of Gujarat (2016–2021), had remained active in party affairs after stepping down. His untimely death has sent shockwaves through Gujarat’s political landscape.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken stock of the situation and ordered immediate relief measures, while Home Minister Amit Shah and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu are en route to Ahmedabad to assess the scene.