BJ Medical College hostel still bears scars of deadly Ahmedabad plane crash

The Atulyam-4 hostel building and the adjoining canteen complex stand abandoned, with entry strictly prohibited. File pic/Nimesh Dave

Six months after the AI-171 plane crash, the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Ahmedabad stands as a haunting reminder, with its charred walls and burnt trees replacing the once lively chatter of students with an eerie stillness. Scattered across the crash site are grim remnants of daily life - burnt cars and motorcycles, twisted beds and furniture, charred books, clothes and personal belongings.

The Atulyam-4 hostel building and the adjoining canteen complex stand abandoned, with entry strictly prohibited. For residents near the site, memories of the incident still linger, casting a lasting shadow on their lives, with some of them saying they are still afraid to look up at the sky when an aircraft passes overhead.

On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed moments after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 persons. The aircraft slammed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Meghaninagar, turning a lively student neighbourhood into a landscape of ruin and grief.

"The area now lies very silent, only a few birds chirp here," Sanjaybhai, a security guard deployed at the premises by authorities to prevent trespassing, told PTI. Tinaben, a resident of Meghaninagar, said she never imagined something like this could happen in Ahmedabad. "Despite being close to the airport, this area always felt safe," she said. As an aircraft roared overhead during the conversation, Tinaben paused, looked up nervously and said, "It's still scary."

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