Ahmedabad : Grief engulfed the campus of B J Medical College (BJMC) as it marked its 146th foundation day, just days after a devastating air crash that killed 270 people, including five medical students and several campus residents.
On June 12, Air India flight AI171 — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London — crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft plunged into the BJMC campus in Meghaninagar, setting off a massive fire and killing 241 onboard and 29 on the ground.
Survivors and students described horrifying scenes as the tail section of the aircraft crashed into the hostel mess during lunchtime. “We were around 20–30 people at Atulyam hostel when the crash happened,” said MD student Arun Prashant, who jumped from the first floor to escape the blaze.
First-year resident Sagar Panjwani recounted students losing all their belongings in the fire, while many families still await identification of loved ones. Hospital officials said 80 victims have been identified through DNA, with 33 bodies handed over to families so far. Among the deceased is former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani.
BJMC, one of India’s oldest medical colleges, was founded in 1879 with a donation from Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy. Today, it houses hundreds of students and faculty, offering undergraduate and postgraduate training across 24 medical disciplines.
What would have been a day of celebration has turned into one of mourning, as students, doctors, and families reckon with the aftermath of one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory.
