Ahmedabad Plane Crash: How 2 medical students escaped death as hostel turned into a graveyard within seconds
When Air India Flight AI-171 plunged into a residential block of B.J. Medical College on 12 June, it left behind twisted metal, scorched earth, and haunting silence. But amid the wreckage, a few stories of survival emerged, offering fragile glimmers of relief in a sea of loss.
Students caught between life and death
Drijesh Mor, a first-year MBBS student from Palanpur, had just stepped out of the mess to wash his hands when disaster struck. He described hearing a deafening sound that initially made him believe it was either an earthquake or an airstrike. What followed was chaos — collapsing walls, choking smoke, and cries of panic.
Drijesh Mor, a first-year MBBS B J Medical College student from Palanpur, recalls the harrowing experience of the #AirIndiaCrash into his hostel building in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, where he narrowly escaped death. pic.twitter.com/7ndk93oEBA
As per the New Indian Express, He stood frozen for moments, unable to decide whether to run or hide. "The windows exploded, everything turned grey, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped,' he told local reporters, overwhelmed by emotion.
When survival is just a missed meal
Another student, Dr Vaishali Lalwani, survived simply because she did not follow her routine. A first-year MD Medicine student from Godhra, Vaishali usually had lunch in the hostel mess, but on Thursday, she decided to skip it. That decision saved her life.
'A Missed Lunch That Saved Her Life': Medical Student Escapes AI-171 Tragedy by a Twist of FateIn what can only be described as a miraculous escape, Dr. Vaishali Lalwani, a PG medical student from Godhra studying at B J Medical College (BJMC), Ahmedabad, narrowly avoided… pic.twitter.com/46LhOi0m8k
Her father, Suresh Lalwani, a banker in Godhra, said the family was paralysed with fear when they heard the plane had crashed into the very building where she normally ate. When she finally answered their call, they broke down in relief. Vaishali later shared that an elderly woman who served tea at the mess and her grandson had both perished in the crash.
Heartbreaking ! Very unfortunate , plane crash over medical boys hostel BJMC Ahmedabad. It was lunch time and almost every resident and Undergraduate were there in the mess.Please pray for all medical students over there and passengers#Gujarat#AI171#PlaneCrash #AirIndia pic.twitter.com/7TYt4T42vM
A hostel turned into a war zone
The Dreamliner's crash reduced the medical campus to rubble. Hostels filled with young doctors were suddenly warzones. Some students died instantly, while others remain missing. Dr Sagar Panjwani returned to find his room reduced to ashes. Another student, Dr Arun Prashant, jumped from a floor to save his life. Hostel staff spoke of smoke, shattered glass, and unbearable heat.
We just received more images from #AI171 crash site. The B787 crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess in Meghani Nagar. Updates: https://t.co/4BuDhgJDQn pic.twitter.com/R3ieu51tsD
#Breaking Air India plane AI171 crashed into Medical College in Ahmedabad - photos from crash siteTHE PLANE WAS UNABLE TO KNOCK DOWN DOUBLE STOREY BRICK HOUSE BUT IN NEW YORK (9/11) KNOCKED THE CONCREATE SKYSCREAPER WITH REINFORCED STEEL? FUCK OFF!!! pic.twitter.com/o4YwiMbzXu
Among the confirmed deceased are doctors Aryan Rajput, Manav Bhadu, Rakesh Deora, a pregnant woman, and Kajal Pradeep Solanki. Resident doctor Jay Prakash Chaudhary is still missing. As the debris continues to be cleared, students walk through their broken campus with quiet reverence, some holding books, others carrying only memories of those who are no longer with them.
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