Ahmedabad: Residents jumped off building as plane crash impact leads to massive fire
The horror was amplified by stories from survivors and their families. Ramila, a local resident, tearfully recounted how her son narrowly escaped death. 'My son had gone to the hostel for lunch. I thought I had lost him. But by God's grace, he jumped from the second floor and survived with only minor injuries,' she said.
Several eyewitnesses claimed that people jumped from upper floors to escape the fire.
Rescue personnel reported that the black box of the aircraft has been recovered and will be crucial in determining the exact cause of the crash. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, took off at 1:38 PM from runway 23.
Merely two minutes into the ascent, at around 1.40 p.m., the aircraft lost altitude and crashed into a medical college hostel building in the Meghani Nagar area, sparking a massive fire and widespread panic in the locality.
The crash site was engulfed in thick black smoke, visible from kilometers away. Upon receiving news of the crash, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel rushed from Surat to Asarwa Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, where many injured passengers were taken. Expressing sorrow over the incident, CM Patel described the crash as 'deeply unfortunate and heartbreaking', and ordered all concerned departments to carry out rescue and relief operations on war footing.
The CM also directed the establishment of green corridors for the immediate transfer of the injured to hospitals and ensured that emergency medical arrangements be prioritised across the city's medical facilities.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a telephonic conversation with CM Patel and assured full support by the Central government. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were mobilised immediately and joined local authorities in the ongoing rescue and evacuation efforts.
Preliminary reports indicate that a technical malfunction involving tire retraction failure during takeoff may have caused the crash. Sources suggest that after the aircraft's tires failed to retract properly, it collided with a building near the airport.
The impact broke the aircraft's tail section into two pieces. The aircraft continued forward and crashed into the Atulyam building, a multi-storey structure housing intern doctors of a nearby medical college.
The wing of the aircraft struck the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the hostel, causing extensive structural damage. The building is now at risk of collapse. Dozens of residents were inside at the time of the crash.
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport remains closed for all operations until further notice, and flights have been diverted or canceled. This is among India's worst aviation disasters in recent years, with multiple nationalities aboard the aircraft, including British, Portuguese, and Canadian citizens, besides a majority of Indian passengers.
In the wake of the crash, the Gujarat government has set up a control room at the State Emergency Operation Centre.
Citizens and relatives of passengers can reach the center via phone: 079-232-51900 or mobile: 9978405304.
Additionally, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has released two emergency numbers – 6357373831 and 6357373841 – for inquiries related to patient care and trauma center assistance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
42 minutes ago
- News18
NEET PG 2025: Distant Exam Centres Trigger Widespread Anxiety Among Aspirants
Last Updated: IMA-JDN has urgently appealed to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, raising serious concerns over NEET PG 2025 exam centre allotment and its impact on affected candidates. The Indian Medical Association–Junior Doctors' Network (IMA–JDN) has submitted an urgent representation to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, voicing serious concerns regarding the allotment of NEET-PG examination centres. This comes in response to widespread complaints from aspirants across the country who have been assigned test centres in distant states, sparking distress and anxiety among candidates. With the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test–Postgraduate (NEET-PG) scheduled for 3 August, the IMA–JDN has appealed to the Union Health Ministry to instruct the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to reopen the portal for changing exam centres. This would allow affected candidates the opportunity to select centres closer to their home state or within nearby regions. In its representation, the IMA–JDN underlined that while some students have been allotted centres in nearby cities, thousands of others have been assigned locations in far-flung states, requiring them to undertake long, expensive, and stressful journeys to unfamiliar places. The doctors' body stated, 'This move is causing much concern, especially among the economically weaker sections, ladies, and those from remote or rural regions." 'This disparity not only affects fairness but could negatively impact students' mental well-being and performance in this critical, once-a-year exam," it said. 'IMA–JDN remains committed to ensuring equity and accessibility in all aspects of medical education and examination systems," the doctors' body added. In the meantime, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) on 21 July issued the exam intimation slips for NEET PG 2025. The admit cards for NEET PG 2025 are scheduled to be released on 31 July. Simultaneously, the Supreme Court of India has fixed 3 August to hear a batch of petitions related to the transparency of the NEET PG examination process. A bench comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria briefly took up the matter, which centres on issues concerning the release of answer keys and the evaluation mechanism followed by the National Board of Examinations (NBE). One of the petitions, filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, challenges the lack of transparency in the assessment process and seeks various directions to be issued to the NBE. The plea calls for the release of question papers and answer keys to the candidates, along with a breakdown of correct and incorrect responses as evaluated. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
With mother as shield and skin, 8-month-old Air India crash victim survives
Manisha Kachhadiya shielded her eight-month-old son, Dhyaansh, with her body from the flames as Air India's IC171 crashed into BJ Medical College residential quarters in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people. Despite the searing heat and thick smoke, her only instinct was to protect her infant son, who had turned out to be the youngest survivor of the air crash. Manisha not only shielded Dhyaansh that day, but as both fought burn injuries, the mother gave her skin as a shield to the 8-month-old. In a heart-warming story of survival from the Boeing 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad, Manisha and Dhyaansh were discharged from the hospital last is the son of Manisha and Kapil Kachhadiya, a super-speciality MCh student in urology at BJ Medical College. Kapil was on duty at the hospital when the plane crashed into the hostel on June told PTI that when the plane crashed, Manisha suffered injuries, but her priority was to save their son."There was a blackout for a second and then our residence was filled with heat," Manisha told The Times of India. At that terrifying moment, she grabbed her son and ran. Thick smoke and flames made it nearly impossible to see, and the heat left both mother and child with serious burns."There was a moment I thought we would not make it out. But I had to, for my child. We have both been through pain I cannot put into words," Manish sustained 25% burns to her face and hands. Dhyaansh suffered 36% burns across his face, both arms, chest, and were rushed to KD Hospital, where Dhyaansh was immediately admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The infant required ventilator support to breathe, along with fluid resuscitation, blood transfusion, and highly specialised care for his INDIA CRASH AND A MOTHER'S INSTINCTIVE COURAGEThe child's recovery, doctors said, was medically complex due to his of the most crucial parts of his treatment was that when skin grafts were required to help heal his wounds, his mother offered her own. Manisha donated her skin to her son, becoming, quite literally, his shield once Adit Desai, managing director of KD Hospital, described the case as deeply moving."It was deeply touching because of the mother's instinctive courage to save her child. From a medical standpoint, every department came together to ensure the best possible outcome," Desai told The Times of added that the hospital provided free treatment to six patients affected by the AI171 aeroplane surgeon Dr Rutvij Parikh explained to the newspaper how the medical team approached treating the child's burn injuries with the utmost child's own skin and his mother's skin grafts were used to treat the burn wounds. The patient's age was a major factor. We had to make sure the wounds did not get infected and that his growth would be normal. The recovery of the child and mother has been satisfactory."FATHER PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN SON'S RECOVERY TOOThe father, Kapil, himself a medical professional, played a critical role in his son's recovery."Dr Kapil's involvement as a father helped enormously. As a medical professional himself, he often made sure the dressings were done properly, even in the middle of the night," Dr Parikh told The Times of team of doctors who treated the mother and child included Dr Snehal Patel, Dr Tushar Patel, and Dr Mansi Dandnaik, according to the child's condition was complicated by the fact that blood had rushed into one side of his lungs due to the trauma."He was kept on ventilatory support, and an intercostal drainage tube was inserted until we achieved good lung expansion," said Dr Snehal five weeks of intensive treatment and care, both Manisha and Dhyaansh have now been discharged from the hospital. This mother's love defied both fire and fate to save her son's life.- EndsTune InMust Watch
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
AI Crash Survivor Mother's Faith & Skin Heal Her 8-Month-Old's Burns: Graft Procedure Explained
Last Updated: Ahmedabad Air India Crash: How was eight-month-old Dhyaansh, the youngest victim of the mishap, treated? How do skin grafts work for burns? Can a mother's skin be used? Explained Ahmedabad Air India Crash: For eight-month-old Dhyaansh, the youngest victim of the Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, his mother, Manisha, will always remain his hero. Not only did she save him during the crash, but she went beyond her healing touch to give her skin to save her baby from what were potentially fatal burns. The mother and son have now been discharged from a city hospital. When the aircraft plunged into the BJ Medical College's residential complex moments after take off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, Manisha, wife of Dr Kapil Kachhadiya, a urology resident at Civil Hospital, and Dhyaansh were in one of the buildings affected by the crash. Kapil said when the crash occurred, Manisha also suffered injuries, but she picked up their son and fled the spot. Kapil was at the Medical College. The magnitude of the crash was so intense that the subsequent fire left Manisha, who is a homeopath, and Dhyaansh, with burns despite being inside a flat. The crash killed 260, including 241 passengers and crew on board the flight, and 19 fatalities on the ground. How was the child treated? Manisha suffered 25% burns on her hands, while Dhyaansh 36% on face, arms, abdomen and chest. Dr Rutvij Parekh, plastic surgeon at KD Hospital, told TOI that the child's skin and mother's skin grafts were used to treat Dhyaansh. 'Dhyansh was so young that only a small amount of skin could be taken from his own body. We grafted skin from Manisha onto him. The risk of infection was high, but it was vital to ensure his growth wasn't compromised," he said, adding, 'Dr Kapil's involvement as a father helped enormously. As a medical professional himself, he often made sure the dressings were done properly, even in the middle of the night." What are skin grafts? Skin grafts are a medical treatment where healthy skin is transplanted from one area of the body (or from a donor) to another area that has been damaged, often due to burns, trauma, surgery, or infection. How do skin grafts help in burn treatment? When someone suffers from deep second-degree or third-degree burns, the skin may be too damaged to heal on its own. In such cases, skin grafts: Promote healing: They provide a covering for the wound, which reduces fluid loss, lowers the risk of infection, and accelerates tissue regeneration. Restore skin function: Grafts help restore the protective barrier of the skin, which is essential for temperature regulation, fluid balance, and infection defense. Minimize scarring: Prompt grafting can improve cosmetic and functional outcomes by reducing contractures (tight, scarred skin that limits movement). Can a mother's skin be used for her toddler? Using a mother's skin for her toddler is possible but not ideal as a permanent solution, due to immune rejection. A mother's skin may be used temporarily as a biological dressing to cover the burn while the child stabilizes or while preparing for an autograft (child's own skin). This is called a homograft or allograft. Being genetically related, the mother's tissue may last a little longer than from an unrelated donor, but it will still be rejected eventually. With Agency Inputs view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 28, 2025, 13:18 IST News explainers AI Crash Survivor Mother's Faith & Skin Heal Her 8-Month-Old's Burns: Graft Procedure Explained Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
