Ahmedabad crash: ‘Thought it was a short circuit… went closer to the spot and saw plane wings’

But minutes after an Air India plane with 242 people aboard crashed on the site, all that could be seen was a huge posse of personnel from various government agencies such as NDRF, CISF, Civil Defence, Home Guards, RAF and Defense involved in relief and rescue operations. A number of ambulances were lined up outside to ferry anyone in need of medical help.

Nilesh Prajapati, a resident of Meghaninagar area who was present at the location, said, “I had gone to the Civil Hospital to see a relative. I heard a huge sound of explosion and thought it to be a cylinder blast or a bomb blast. I immediately rushed towards the direction of the blast. As a lot of smoke was coming out, I thought it could be a huge fire from a short circuit. However, as I went close to the spot, I saw parts of the plane including its wings. That is when I realised it was a plane crash!”

Air India Ahmedabad-London Plane Crash: The temperature in and around the crashed Air India plane was so high that it made the rescue operation extremely difficult. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Prajapati said he immediately rushed to the spot and noticed that the four blocks where the medical students were living had been badly hit. “I went on the first floor of one of the blocks to help those inside come out. But there was so much smoke and fire that I had to rush out,” he added.

Bhavesh Patni, another resident of the area, claimed to have witnessed the crash.

“I was home and heard this huge sound. The plane had first crashed into the building, which is the canteen for the hostel students of the Medical College. It then veered slightly and crashed into the four hostel blocks. Then a huge blast took place and the entire area was engulfed by smoke,” Bhavesh said.

“I rushed to the spot and the whole area around the blocks was a mess. Even on the road outside, nothing was visible. Apart from the youngsters in the hostel blocks, many people on the road outside were hit. One of my aunts, who was living in a roadside hut, was also injured and was rushed to the hospital,” he added.

The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), a national body for Resident Doctors’ Associations in India, said the incident has left everyone shocked. According to its chief patron, Dr Rohan Krishnan, their team members in Ahmedabad immediately went to assist the injured students. (File)

Until 1.38pm, the address was a bustling, densely populated locality that was home to four hostel buildings, called Attulyam-1 to 4, for students of BJ Medical College attached with the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital situated close by. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Bhavesh said, “The impact was so sudden and huge that many birds and street dogs were also killed.”

An official of CISF, who was present at the airport, said, “I was on duty at the airport. My shift for the day was ending and I was depositing my weapon when this incident happened… all of us present at the airport were given instructions by our superiors to reach the site of the plane crash. We boarded a bus and reached the spot within five minutes. It was around 1.45 pm then.”

The official, requesting anonymity, said, “When we reached here, there was a huge fire coupled with smoke. We started helping the injured as much as we could. And then, various other agencies like Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) and NDRF came and took over the relief and rescue operations.”