Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Horror at Medical Hostel as AI171 Slams Into Building Minutes After Takeoff

Scene of Chaos: Fires, Screams, and Shattered Dreams — What It’s Like Where the Plane Went Down

On the morning of June 12, 2025, the city of Ahmedabad witnessed one of the worst aviation disasters in India’s recent history. Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London, crashed just 37 minutes after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. But what made the tragedy even more devastating was where the aircraft came down: directly into the boys’ hostel of B.J. Medical College in the densely populated Meghani Nagar area.

The crash site, which once housed the dreams of young aspiring doctors, has turned into a charred and gutted shell. Survivors and eyewitnesses recount a scene straight from a nightmare. “There was a loud blast, the walls shook, and then fire everywhere. We thought it was a bomb,” said Suresh Patel, a second-year medical student who was in the adjacent building.

The aircraft, already in distress, plummeted from the sky and slammed into the hostel’s upper floors, igniting an inferno that rapidly spread through the building. Flames engulfed the structure within minutes, trapping dozens of students and staff inside. Despite the quick response from the fire brigade, which deployed more than 70 vehicles, the blaze raged for over two hours before being fully contained.

Rescue operations began almost immediately. Police, NDRF teams, and hospital staff raced against time, pulling survivors from the rubble and ferrying the injured to nearby hospitals. Unfortunately, the intensity of the fire left many victims unrecognizable. Over 269 bodies, including those from the flight and the ground, have been recovered so far, with many undergoing DNA testing for identification.

Among the victims was Amira Khan, a 26-year-old British national who had been volunteering in Gujarat for two months. Her final Instagram story, posted just an hour before takeoff, showed her sipping chai with the caption: “One last chai before flying home 🇮🇳✈️ #AI171.” The haunting post has since gone viral, becoming a symbol of life interrupted.

The scene around the crash site remains chaotic but controlled. Roads are cordoned off, smoke still lingers in the air, and twisted metal from the aircraft lies intertwined with shattered concrete. The entire hostel structure has been declared unsafe and will be demolished. Forensic teams from India, the UK, the US, Boeing, and GE Aerospace are sifting through debris for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, which were reportedly recovered late Thursday night.

Locals have turned into volunteers. Residents from nearby blocks are distributing food, water, and blankets to rescue teams and affected families. A temporary relief center has been set up at a nearby sports complex, offering medical assistance, grief counseling, and help with missing persons reports.

Questions are already being raised about the cause of the crash. Initial reports suggest a catastrophic failure in the electrical system, but investigators warn it could take weeks to determine the full picture. Meanwhile, Air India has grounded its remaining 787s pending further inspections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “a national tragedy” and vowed a full investigation. Flags flew at half-mast across government buildings, and a national day of mourning has been declared.

For the people of Ahmedabad, especially those in Meghani Nagar, the memories of June 12 will never fade. What was once a quiet, academic corner of the city is now a site of mourning and unanswered questions. But amid the destruction, the courage of first responders, the resilience of survivors, and the solidarity of the community continue to shine through the smoke.