Debris scattered over medical college premises; charred bodies seen

PTI, AHMEDABAD, JUNE 12, 2025 : Debris of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft (AI171) which crashed after take-off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon were seen scattered around the hostel and residential quarters of doctors at the BJ Medical College premises. 

Videos that went viral after the horrific air crash, among the worst in Gujarat's history, also showed charred bodies in the debris. The Ahmedabad–London flight with 242 passengers on board crashed soon after the take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport. The area around the crash site is densely populated. 

The entire accident site was cordoned off and operations to rescue the survivors and extricate the bodies was underway. The plane took off at 13.39 pm and crashed soon after onto the hostel and residential quarters of doctors and staff members of BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. A part of the plane stuck out from the five-storey building.

"The plane was flying very low before it crashed," eye-witness Haresh Shah said. "As it crashed into the building, the sound was like a blast, and the plane and the building caught fire," he said.

Local residents were the first to reach the site and try to save the passengers as well as those in the building. Initial footage shot by residents on mobile phones showed charred bodies among the debris.

"The plane crashed in the dining hall of the hostel where people were present. Many of them were injured and taken to hospital," said another eye-witness.

The rescue operations were still ongoing as rescuers were trying to find survivors, Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner G. S. Malik said. The Army, Border Security Force, local police and State Reserve Police Force were involved in the rescue operation. Several cars and other vehicles parked on the hospital-college premises also caught fire.