A massive tragedy unfolded in Ahmedabad on Thursday as an Air India Boeing flight bound for London crashed seconds after takeoff, plummeting into the hostel building of BJ Medical College. The aircraft hit the mess area during lunchtime, instantly killing 24 medical students and injuring over 50 others. Officials confirmed that four of the injured later succumbed at the hospital, raising the overall death toll to 269, which includes former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was reportedly onboard the aircraft. Several students are still in critical condition, while one remains missing under the debris, with rescue operations continuing round-the-clock.
Eyewitnesses recounted horrifying scenes as the hostel was engulfed in smoke and panic. One PG student from Tamil Nadu described narrowly escaping by jumping from the first floor along with nearly 30 others. Parents and relatives of the deceased were inconsolable, struggling to accept the sudden loss of their children who had no involvement in the incident. Authorities are investigating how a passenger flight crashed into a populated structure, triggering serious questions about flight paths and urban safety protocols.