"Difficult to believe that he is no longer with us," says Vijay Rupani's neighbour of 35 years
Rajkot (Gujarat) [India], June 13 (ANI): Former Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani lost his life in the AI-171 plane crash, his neighbour and family doctor, Dr Nayan Shah, said it is hard to believe he is no longer with us.
Dr Shah said they had lived next to each other for nearly 35 years and celebrated all festivals together. He also added that his memory will always remain with us.
Speaking to ANI, Nayan Shah said, 'We lived as neighbours for nearly 35 years. His memory will always remain with us. We shared many moments together. Be it good or bad times, we stayed together...We used to celebrate all the festivals together... Whether it was flying kites, celebrating Holi, or Diwali, we took part in every festival with joy and unity.'
'It's difficult to believe that he is no longer with us, but his memories will always stay alive,' Shah said.
Rupani was in charge of the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu had confirmed the presence of former CM Rupani on board the crashed Air India flight.
A total of 241 people onboard the Boeing 787-8, Air India flight 171, including 12 crew members, have died in the deadly Ahmedabad plane crash, Air India confirmed post-midnight on Friday.
The passenger plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Gujarat's Ahmedabad into a resident doctors' hostel building shortly after take-off on Thursday. Miraculously, one person has survived the deadly crash, the airline authorities said, adding that the survivor was a British national of Indian origin.
The flight, which was operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours.
According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1339 IST (0809 UTC) from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to the calls made by ATC.
Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. An official stated that heavy black smoke was emanating from the accident site.
The Tata Group has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each person who lost their lives in the crash. (ANI)
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