Bhagavad Gita found in near-mint condition from Air India plane crash debris
Social media is abuzz with a 'miracle' that came to light in the aftermath of the deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed at least 260 people – an almost-intact hard copy of the religious text, the Bhagavad Gita.
The holy book remained mostly undamaged despite the intense heat and burning fuel. Follow Ahmedabad plane crash live updates
Air India's Gatwick-bound Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner (AI171), carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed into BJ Medical College's doctors' hostel in the Meghani Nagar area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Of the 242 onboard the aircraft, which went up in flames within minutes of take-off, only one survivor remained. Among the victims of the tragic air crash was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani.
Since the crash took place in a residential area, several parts of Boeing's debris were found near the hostel and other infrastructures there.
A copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, also survived the fatal tragedy. Several videos of the book being found in the debris went viral on social media, with clips shared by some journalists confirming the same.
A man was seen flipping the pages of the Holy scripture, showing it to the people at the crash site, who were also filming the Bhagavad Gita.
According to the visuals, while some minor damage was visible on the holy book's cover, the written text and images on the pages inside seemed to be quite intact.
Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesperson of Iskcon Kolkata, shared the video on X and said, "Amid the fiery #planecrash, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita was found untouched. One soul miraculously survived with minor bruises. Another girl, who missed the flight by just 10 minutes, was arguing with staff to allow her to board the ill-fated flight."
Another user on the microblogging platform wrote, "Miracle amidst tragedy: Bhagavad Gita remains undamaged and intact after the plane crash."
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, seated on seat 11A of the Dreamliner, is the only survivor of the Air India crash. Ramesh is a 40-year-old British national who was visiting family in India.
'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' Vishwash told HT.
He said when he got up, there were bodies all around him. "I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital," he added.
Vishwas, who suffered injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet, is currently receiving treatment at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, Asarwa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the plane crash site in Ahmedabad, met the lone survivor, Vishwash and the injured victims at the hospital there.
Following his visit, the prime minister expressed deep grief and wrote on X, 'We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families. We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come. Om Shanti.'
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