Lunch hour horror: Air India plane crashed on doctors' hostel. Medical college mess was hit, 'things look bad' on ground

It was supposed to be just another lunch hour at the doctors' hostel mess of Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12) when an Air India plane crashed onto the building, leaving it in flames. The Air India Flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London, which crashed during liftoff, had 242 people on board. At the time of writing this report, there is no official casualty report, but since the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner hit a residential area, the toll is likely to be high.

60 intern doctors were in the mess

Images shared on social media showed plane parts strewn around on the ground, and stuck on top of the buildings.

According to reports, there were up to 60 intern doctors inside the hostel when the plane crashed.

The plane crashed into Atulya 1, 2, 3, and 4 buildings, all housing resident doctors.

‘Things look bad’

The doctors' hostel was badly damaged. Some people were seen being taken on stretchers to the nearby hospital.

Taking to X, one user said ‘Things look bad’, while sharing photos of what appeared to be a hostel mess.

"Visuals from inside of Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College mess. Things look bad. Young doctors were supposed to be in the dining halls," said the post.

On the ground, charred remains and plane parts were visible. Bulldozers were seen being used to clear out the debris.

Indian Army, Ahmedabad police rushed to the spot

The Ahmedabad police, army, fire service and rescue workers rushed to the area.

Social media visuals showed fire hoses extinguishing the flames, fire engines lining up to the residential area, and first responders carrying out what appeared to be dead bodies from the site.

The Ahmedabad Police cleared most of the area.

Around 400 CISF paramilitary troops deployed at Ahmedabad airport were also pressed into rescue operations after the plane crashed into the medical college and nearby buildings.

Boundary wall broken open for rescue

Indian Army soldiers from the nearby cantonment rushed to the spot and broke open the boundary wall of the residential area for easy access to the crash site.

There is only a narrow road available towards the crash site from the civil area.

Victims rushed to civil hospital

Later, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel reached Ahmedabad's Asarwa Civil Hospital, where crash victims had been brought. A row of ambulances was seen arriving at the hospital.

All doctors' leave and off are cancelled in the Ahmedabad civil hospital.