Five medical students died, many injured

Five medical students died and many suffered injuries after an Air India flight crashed into the hostel of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. This includes four undergraduate students and a postgraduate resident.

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board crashed immediately after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. The flight, headed to London, departed at 13:38 pm from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The failure to achieve lift happened at a very low altitude of 825 feet.

In pictures from the ground, plates with food left uneaten and glasses can be seen lying on the tables in the hostel canteen, indicating medical students were having lunch at the time of the crash. The picture also shows people standing near the damaged wall of the hostel mess. 

The pictures showed a part of the aircraft stuck inside the students' hostel of the BJ Medical College.

"We are deeply shocked about the news of the AI plane crashing in Ahmedabad. News has become more gruesome after finding out that a flight had crashed in BJMC, Hostel & many MBBS students have also been injured!!!! We are monitoring the situation closely & are ready for any help!" the FAIMA Doctors association said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

Nearly 40 doctors have been wounded and at least one is in a critical situation. Dr Shyam Govind, an eyewitness from the BJ Medical College said, "I and my junior doctor have been injured. 30-40 undergraduate doctors also suffered injuries and one to two students are serious."

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, issued a "Mayday" call to Air Traffic Control shortly before the plane lost contact. A Mayday call is an internationally recognised distress signal used primarily in aviation and maritime communication to indicate a life-threatening emergency.