Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Why Ex-Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani Had To Postpone His London Trip
Last Updated:
Vijay Rupani left Gandhinagar with aide Shailesh Mandalia and staff, reached Ahmedabad airport by 11:45 am, and boarded the London-bound Air India flight that later crashed
Former Gujarat Chief Minister and senior Saurashtra leader Vijay Rupani was among the victims of the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash, a loss that has left the state in mourning.
According to sources, Rupani had originally planned to travel abroad with his wife, Anjali Rupani, on June 3. However, citing party responsibilities linked to the upcoming by-elections in Punjab and Gujarat, he reportedly postponed his trip. His wife is said to have continued to London as scheduled, while Rupani rebooked his ticket for June 12 — the day he boarded the ill-fated flight.
On Thursday morning, Rupani left Gandhinagar for Ahmedabad airport accompanied by his personal assistant, Shailesh Mandalia, and other staff members. They reached the airport around 11:45 am and boarded the London-bound flight.
Flight records confirm that Rupani was seated in 2-D in the business class section.
The tragic news has left the people of Saurashtra in deep mourning. For many, Vijay Rupani was more than a political leader—he was a trusted guide and a humble presence. His untimely death has brought immense sorrow to his supporters, party workers, and well-wishers across Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar and Kutch.
Vijay Rupani's political career began with student activism in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He later served as a Pracharak in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), joined the Jan Sangh, and played a key role in the early formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His commitment to political causes saw him jailed during the Emergency in 1976. Rupani, aged 68, served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021. He represented the Rajkot West constituency in the state assembly during his tenure.
The Air India Boeing 737 Dreamliner, with 230 passengers and 12 crew on board, crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport leaving 241 on board dead. The aircraft went down near the heavily populated Horse Camp locality, not far from the Civil Hospital. Emergency teams quickly mobilised to douse the flames and search for survivors amid the wreckage.
More than 200 DNA samples have been collected to help identify the victims of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash. So far, five bodies have been returned to their families following post-mortem examinations. Meanwhile, the investigation into the cause of the crash is progressing on multiple fronts.
Officials are examining four possible scenarios behind the tragedy: a bird strike, simultaneous engine failure, fuel contamination, and aircraft overloading. Investigators are also combing through the plane's maintenance logs to see if any scheduled checks or repairs were overlooked.
Critical data from the flight recorder and radar systems is being analysed. Additionally, the lone survivor's account is offering valuable insight. According to the survivor, the plane appeared to lose thrust shortly after take-off. Moments later, it surged forward and crashed, raising the possibility of a sudden loss of engine power.
First Published:
June 13, 2025, 16:12 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
Morning Newswrap: Iran strikes back at Israel; Ahmedabad plane crash toll mounts to 274; and more
. Iran struck back at Israel with overnight missile attacks. Trump stirred controversy by claiming he gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum, though his officials had denied any direct role. Back in Asia, India and China agreed to focus on people-centric ties during talks between top diplomats. Meanwhile, the Air India crash toll rose to 274, marking the worst single-aircraft disaster in the country. In Assam, authorities issued shoot-at-sight orders in Dhubri amid rising communal tensions. Iran strikes back Israel; Netanyahu warns 'more is on the way' - How the night unfolded A tense escalation unfolded across the Middle East overnight, as Iran launched back-to-back, and overnight missile strikes toward Israel late Friday and early Saturday. The move came in response to what Iran described as Israel's earlier attacks on its territory. Read full story Air India plane crash: Toll mounts to 274; 33 on-ground deaths confirmed Salvage teams scouring the debris of flight AI 171 found the black box of the crashed 787-8 Dreamliner and 29 more bodies on Friday, taking the toll to 274 and expanding the scale of the worst single-aircraft disaster in the history of Indian aviation. Read full story 'Those who spoke bravely are all dead': Trump says he gave Iran 60-day ultimatum In a dramatic twist, US President Donald Trump claimed credit for setting the stage, citing a 60-day ultimatum he says he gave Iran, even as his officials had denied direct American involvement in the operation. Read full story Focus on people-centric engagements, India & China agree to mend ties In talks between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and visiting Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, India and China agreed to expedite measures to resume direct air services and to hold 'certain functional dialogues' to resolve specific issues of concern in, among other things, trade and economy. Read full story Shoot-at-sight order at Assam border amid communal unrest The Assam government on Friday issued a shoot-at-sight order in the India-Bangladesh border town of Dhubri after dusk to rein in what CM Himanta Biswa Sarma described as "a communal group" fomenting trouble over the past week. Read full story
Hans India
25 minutes ago
- Hans India
Ahmedabad plane crash: Aviation Minister to chair high-level meeting on air safety today
New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will chair a high-level meeting on air safety at the ministry office on Saturday. The meeting comes in the wake of the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which was en route from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick Airport on June 12. The crash claimed the lives of at least 241 people. Only one individual is reported to have survived the crash. The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m., will be attended by the Civil Aviation Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), officials from the Airports Authority of India, and other senior officials from related departments. The Ministry of Civil Aviation also announced the formation of a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes behind the devastating crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. According to the ministry, the committee will review the circumstances leading to the accident and assess the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines in civil aviation. The ministry stated that the committee's mandate will be to recommend a comprehensive framework for preventing and managing similar aviation incidents in the future. Taking to X, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said, "The Committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future." The crash occurred just minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad airport when the aircraft lost altitude and spiralled into a medical college hostel located in a densely populated residential area. Many are feared killed and injured on the ground as the aircraft had burst into a ball of fire as it was carrying a lot of fuel for the long-haul flight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met with survivors undergoing treatment at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. A team of 70-80 doctors is conducting post-mortem examinations to identify the deceased. A formal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. Forensic experts are examining the wreckage, and aviation authorities have launched a comprehensive probe to ascertain the factors that led to the fatal incident.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mid-air escape: Air India London-Delhi flight entered Iran airspace as Israel struck with missiles; rerouted over Iraq
NEW DELHI: An Air India flight from London to New Delhi had just entered Iranian airspace when Israel launched a wave of missile strikes on Iran's military and nuclear sites. The flight was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to an AFP report. The close call was one of several disruptions on Friday as Air India diverted or turned back at least 16 international flights mid-air due to the sudden escalation and subsequent closure of Iranian airspace. Among those affected were services between India and cities like London, Toronto, and New York. Aircraft tracking site Flight Aware showed that two other Air India flights — from Delhi to Vienna and Mumbai to London — were nearing Iranian airspace and turned back to their origin airports shortly after the strikes began. In a statement, Air India said: 'Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimise it.' The airline is offering full refunds or complimentary rescheduling to affected passengers and is arranging accommodation where necessary. The Indian Embassy in Iran also issued an advisory urging Indian nationals and people of Indian origin to stay alert and avoid non-essential travel, as tensions surged following Israel's precision strikes targeting Iranian defence infrastructure. Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria temporarily shut down their airspace, leading to widespread cancellations and rerouting of global flights to and from the Middle East. Global airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran as air traffic over the region thinned out overnight. Israel said the strikes were a direct response to the growing threat from Iran's missile and nuclear capabilities. Iran retaliated by launching a wave of drones toward Israeli territory.
