AHMEDABAD, India (BN24) — One person has been confirmed dead, at least seven are missing, and more than 50 people have been hospitalized after Air India Flight 171 crashed into a hostel building at B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787 en route to London Gatwick, went down shortly after takeoff, slamming into the hostel that houses students enrolled in the college’s Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, as well as relatives of resident doctors.
The Federation of All Indian Medical Associations (FAIMA) reported on X that the deceased is the wife of a doctor affiliated with the institution. Among the injured are over 50 students, all of whom were admitted to the hospital and are currently in stable condition, according to the organization.
At least two or three students remain in intensive or high-dependency care units, while several others are unaccounted for. FAIMA stated that four to five students are still missing, along with three to four relatives of medical staff residing in the hostel at the time of the crash.
The organization also shared images of the devastation at the site, showing large sections of the building reduced to rubble and emergency crews working amid debris and twisted metal.
The crash has sent shockwaves through India’s medical and aviation communities, triggering calls for increased safety measures around urban airports and high-density areas.
Authorities have yet to release a definitive cause for the crash. The incident is under investigation by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and rescue operations at the hostel site are ongoing.
