Ahmedabad Air India Crash: Six Months Later, Medical College Hostel Remains A Haunting Memorial To 260 Lives Lost

The Boeing aircraft crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Meghaninagar, forever altering the landscape.

Six months following the devastating AI-171 plane crash, the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Ahmedabad remains a somber monument to tragedy. The once-vibrant student hub now features charred walls and scorched trees, with an unsettling silence replacing the previous lively atmosphere.

Grim debris litters the crash site - destroyed vehicles, twisted metal beds, damaged furniture, and burnt personal possessions tell the story of lives suddenly interrupted.

The Atulyam-4 hostel building and adjacent canteen now stand empty and cordoned off, with strict prohibitions against entry.

Local residents continue to struggle with traumatic memories of the incident, with many admitting they experience anxiety whenever aircraft pass overhead.

On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner destined for London, crashed shortly after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, resulting in 260 fatalities.

The aircraft collided with the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Meghaninagar, transforming a bustling student community into a scene of devastation and loss.

"The area now lies very silent, only a few birds chirp here," explained Sanjaybhai, a security guard assigned to prevent unauthorized access to the premises.

Mahendrasingh Jadeja, who owns a general store merely 50 meters from the impact point, described the event as an "unimaginable calamity." The 60-year-old shopkeeper indicated a tree behind his establishment, noting that the aircraft initially struck there before crashing into the hostel structure.

"It was a scorching summer afternoon. Not many people were outside. When I heard a loud crashing sound, I ran out of my shop. We were all terrified," he recounted.

"Even today, we instinctively look up whenever a plane passes overhead," he added.

Another resident, Manubhai Rajput, who resides approximately 200 meters from the crash site, witnessed the catastrophe unfold.

"The plane was flying unusually low. Before I could understand what was happening, there was thick black smoke and a deafening crash," he described.

For more than 30 years, Rajput and his neighbors lived near the airport without concern about overhead aircraft.

"We never looked up at the sky. But that day is etched in my mind. The plane hit a tree first, and then there was a loud sound," he recalled.

Rajput mentioned how numerous local residents rushed to assist at the site before emergency services arrived.

Tinaben, another Meghaninagar resident, expressed her disbelief that such a tragedy could occur in Ahmedabad.

"Despite being close to the airport, this area always felt safe," she stated.

When an aircraft passed overhead during the conversation, Tinaben paused nervously and looked upward, remarking, "It's still scary."

A senior official from Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, speaking anonymously, indicated that the state government has not yet determined future plans for the damaged location.