Intact Bhagavad Gita Emerges From Burnt Debris At Air India Crash Site In Ahmedabad
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Despite a massive fire that engulfed the aircraft and surrounding buildings, the religious text was found largely untouched in the debris.
In the charred remains of Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, killing 265 people, an almost unscathed copy of the Bhagavad Gita was discovered at the site. The sacred text survived the inferno with minimal damage despite the intense blaze.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had taken off from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick when it went down minutes later, crashing into the hostel complex of a nearby medical college. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, left only one passenger alive.
Despite a massive fire that engulfed the aircraft and surrounding buildings, the religious text was found largely untouched in the debris.
Saagar Amin, a hairstylist who volunteered at the Air India Flight 171 crash site, recalled the harrowing scenes and a moment of profound significance.
In the smouldering wreckage, he found an undamaged copy of the Bhagavad Gita. Reflecting on the two survivors rescued from the blaze, he said, 'It proves the saying— 'Jako rakhe Saiyan, maar sake na koi'."
'I reached the site around 1:30 to 2:00 pm and saw fire and debris everywhere," he recounted. 'The flames were twice my height. Soon, rescue teams arrived and we moved to Civil Hospital to help."
Describing the devastation, he said, 'It was like a balloon of fire, and government agencies were trying to pull out people from it."
The intense heat had melted large sections of the fuselage and cabin interiors, reducing most personal belongings to ash. Yet, the Gita, discovered by the volunteer among the rubble, remained remarkably preserved.
The discovery of the religious text has become a point of reflection for many on the ground, as teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local fire departments, and government agencies work through the scorched site.
Investigation teams have also begun analysing the black boxes recovered from the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash.
The Dreamliner was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian passenger.
This marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent history.
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 08:04 IST
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