'Felt like earthquake, sky turned black': Ahmedabad resident recalls moment when Air India plane crashed
twoAhmedabad plane crash not only left a void in the families of the deceased but also imprinted a dreadful memory of suffering and agony among the eyewitnesses. The Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight that crashed shortly after take-off with 242 passengers on board marks one of the biggest aircraft disasters in history.
A driver who lives 200 metres away from the crash site described the tragic happening as 'a loud thud.' Elaborating further the eyewitness said, "I thought it was an earthquake but when I ran outside, I saw parts of a plane and lots of smoke,' HT reported. Flight AI171 en-route London Gatwick from Ahmedabad met the fatal accident at around 1:40 pm.
He added, 'For the next hour, I couldn't see anything because huge plumes of smoke had covered the area after the crash. The sky was black. My neighbours and I were among the first to rush to the college building."
The wreckage of the Air India flight lied scattered across BJ Medical College hostel complex in Meghani Nagar as police, firemen and paramedics launched search and rescue operation. Only Vishwaskumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, survived the deadly mishap.
According to another eyewitnesses, a 'massive sound' was heard following which thick and black smoke engulfed the area. Even vehicles in the parking lot vehicles caught fire. The hostel buildings where several undergraduate and postgraduate medical students were having lunch was also set ablaze after the plane crash severely damaged its structure.
Owner of Risa Air Express Office, Ashutosh Pandey, narrated the disturbing ordeal as witnessed from his nearby office and said, 'Initially, I thought there was a terror attack, similar to the 2008 incident at Asarwa Civil Hospital. The parking lot vehicles caught fire due to the plane crash, and the residential hostel for doctors was also engulfed in flames. The entire area was filled with smoke and fire.'
Among the 230 passengers onboard, 169 were Indians, 53 were British nationals, seven were Portuguese while one was Canadian. The crash occurred near Gujarat's largest medical facility, Asarwa Civil Hospital, which houses over 2,800 beds.
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