AHMEDABAD: Five doctors and four of their family members were killed when the Air India flight AI171 crashed into the mess building of the BJ Medical College on Thursday afternoon.
The tragedy struck the heart of the medical fraternity.
More than 60 doctors and mess staff, including cooks, were inside when the aircraft tore through the structure, turning a normal lunch hour into a nightmare. Many junior doctors had just arrived at the mess for their lunch when disaster struck. Several were caught in the impact.
More than 32 were injured, some critically, and have since been shifted to private hospitals across the city, including Civil, Zydus, KD, and Apollo.
The MBBS students who lost their lives in the crash have been identified as Dr Rakesh Deora, a second-year medical student, along with first-year students Dr Jayaprakash Chaudhary, Dr Aryan Rajput, Dr Manav Bhadu and Dr Bhavesh Seta.
A representative of the Junior Doctors’ Medical Association told the media, “Four medical students lost their lives in the plane crash while around 50 to 60 boys were having lunch in the mess. So far, 20 students have been under treatment - 11 have been discharged, and the rest are stable and receiving care. The missing individuals are being identified through DNA sampling, and once completed, their bodies will be handed over to their families.”
Among those who lost their lives was the pregnant wife of Dr Pradeep Solanki, a neurosurgeon from Civil Hospital. Mrs Solanki had been resting in their hostel room when the debris fell. Dr. Solanki, confined by grief, has remained inconsolable.
In another heart-wrenching loss, Dr Neelkanth, an onco-surgery student, lost not just one, but three family members, his mother, maternal uncle, and maternal aunt, who had come to visit.
The wreckage left behind more than just broken walls. For the survivors, the emotional toll is staggering. The next day, many doctors returned to salvage what little was left - laptops, clothes, books, bags, and personal items charred or buried under the debris.
Four buildings, Blocks 1 through 4, where doctors from UN Mehta, Civil, and the Cancer Department once lived and studied, were affected. But even amid loss, came another blow - evacuation.
As the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau launched its probe, hostel buildings were marked unsafe and residents were asked to vacate.A video that soon went viral showed a young doctor breaking down on camera. With tears in his eyes, he pleaded for a delay.
“My daughter is admitted. Please show some humanity,” he said, begging for just two or three more days. His voice echoed the helplessness of an entire community reeling from trauma.
In response, B J Medical College Dean, Dr Meenakshi Parekh, clarified the evacuation was necessary for safety.
"Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has vacated all the hostels of Atulyam for investigation. The accommodation of the postgraduate students living in those hostels has been arranged. There were 33 doctors in Atulyam-1, who have been given accommodation in the postgraduate wing of UN Mehta Hostel. Out of 100 doctors of GCRI, 52 have been shifted to the old building of GCRI, and for the remaining 48, we have rented 50 rooms for a year. Students of Atulyam-4 are shifted to the dental staff quarters and Mithila quarters. Arrangements for all the students have been made."
“The process of vacating the hostel has begun. Four buildings will be evacuated,” she said, adding, “Arrangements have been made. Students are shifted to UN Mehta Hostel, Dental College, and Mithila Hostel. GCRS doctors remain on campus. We have rented 50 rooms for one year to ensure adequate housing.”
Still, for the doctors who have lived through this catastrophe, recovery will take more than walls and roofs. The scars run deeper than the rubble. They carry with them the silence of lost voices, the pain of goodbyes never said, and the burden of continuing to heal others while grieving their own.
