Plane Tilted, We Were Saved By A Whisker: City Doc At Ground Zero Of Air India Crash

Time of India

13-06-2025

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Nagpur: For young Dr Sushant Deshmukh, a normal day at his hostel near Ahmedabad airport turned into a haunting memory that will last a lifetime. "We see planes take off and land every day from here.
It's routine. But on this tragic day, everything changed in seconds," said Dr Sushant, speaking to TOI over the phone from Ahmedabad.
Sushant, who hails from Nagpur, is currently posted in Ahmedabad as part of his medical internship. On June 12, Air India Dreamliner flight AI 171 crashed into the hostel block adjacent to BJ Medical College, where many MBBS students and junior doctors like him stay. "If the plane had tilted just a bit differently, it would have crashed directly into the hospital building.
The death toll would have been unimaginable," he said.
"It was horrifying, but strangely, crashing into the hostel actually resulted in fewer casualties than it would have caused otherwise."
While Dr Sushant is physically safe, the emotional impact runs deep. "Two of our hostel inmates have relatives who are still missing. Around 50 students from the adjacent intern hostel were injured. Three are still in the ICU.
The rest are shaken, but safe."
He confirmed that his own hostel, Atulyam, suffered fire damage and is currently sealed by authorities. "I've temporarily shifted to stay with local friends. Things are slowly getting back to normal. Hospital work is gradually resuming," he added.
"My son is safe. But his heart is breaking for his fellow students," said Dr Sushama Deshmukh, a senior gynaecologist of Nagpur. "He called me and his father right after the incident.
Both of us were in surgery. Later, when we called back, he told us he was safe. The national news break started later," said Dr Deshmukh.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), in collaboration with the Resident Doctors' Association of BJ Medical College, has released an official update on the status of medical students affected by the crash. Dr Dhawal Gameti, vice president of FAIMA and president of RDA BJMC, shared that 50–60 MBBS students have been admitted, all in stable condition; 4–5 MBBS students remain missing, while 2–3 are in HDU or ICU; 3–4 relatives of super-specialist resident doctors are still untraceable, and the wife of one doctor was found dead.
"Please do not panic," FAIMA urged in its statement. "We request everyone, including the general public, to donate blood wherever possible. Your contribution can help save lives."
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