Burjeel chief announces Dh2.5m to support families of doctors and medical students killed in Air India crash
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Abu Dhabi-based doctor and Burjeel Holding chairman Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil has announced Dh2.5 million (60 million rupees) in financial aid for the families of medical students and doctors affected by the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, a statement from his office said. The tragic incident occurred on June 12, when a Boeing 787 aircraft crashed into the hostel and mess blocks of BJ Medical College. The impact killed four young MBBS students and at least five family members of doctors living on campus, while dozens more were injured. Moved by the magnitude of the tragedy—and drawing from his own years living in medical hostels during his education in Mangalore and Chennai—Dr. Shamsheer said the images of the devastation resonated deeply.'I saw the footage from the mess and the hostel, and it truly shook me,' he said. 'Those students started the day thinking about lectures, assignments, and patients. Their lives ended in a way none of us could ever imagine. It hit close. Too close.'The relief package includes ₹10 million for each of the four students' families, ₹2 million each for five seriously injured students, and ₹2 million each for the families of doctors who lost loved ones. The aid will be disbursed in coordination with the Junior Doctors' Association at BJ Medical College.Among those killed were four medical students — Jaiprakash Choudhary, Manav Bhadu, Aaryan Rajput and Rakesh Diyora. Among the injured is third-year student Ritesh Kumar Sharma, who was trapped under debris for hours with severe leg injuries. Many students lost not only friends but a sense of security and normalcy.'This support is not just financial; it is symbolic,' Dr. Shamsheer said. 'These students were preparing to serve others. Their memories must not fade into headlines. We must carry forward the dreams they didn't get to fulfil.'
Dr. Shamsheer, who also stepped in to support victims of the 2010 Mangalore air crash, said this tragedy felt personal in a different way. 'These young men were part of the same fraternity I once belonged to. To have that life stolen, so violently, so suddenly, is heartbreaking.'
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