
Air India plane crash: Fauna near BJ Medical College, cared for by doctors & staff, falls silent
The crash site at
BJ Medical College
, surrounded by lush greens on three sides, was not only home to junior resident doctors but also to a vibrant ecosystem of at least 30 peacocks, 20 dogs, and several species of birds and cows.
In the days since the crash, this once-lively campus has fallen eerily silent. According to sources, the remains of at least four peacocks, five dogs, and more than 50 birds have been found in the past five days.
A watchman posted at the college told ET that the days leading up to the monsoon were blissful. The cries of peacocks would echo across the campus, and the green expanse bustled with life. "Now, you can only hear a couple of them," he said.
Resident doctors and the mess staff who regularly fed the stray dogs either perished in the crash or have abandoned the college premises since the tragedy. The surviving animals now wander the site, unfed and thirsty.
On Sunday afternoon, reporters standing outside the barricaded area of the crash site heard a dog howling for more than 15 minutes.
Live Events
"Our NGO, along with other NGOs, got multiple calls. Over the past five days, we've recovered several remains from the site. It has been difficult," said the founder of a local NGO sharing the ground reality. "We have to carefully move through the debris to pick up what's left. Sometimes, it's hard to tell if it is animal remains or something else.
"It's not easy, but we have to do it," he said, adding that volunteers had cremated over 50 birds and five dogs charred at the site.
The task has been particularly sensitive as body parts of some of the crash victims are still being recovered from the area.
The Centre for Nurture and Care of Dogs (CNCD) has been deployed to keep carnivorous animals away from the site to prevent further contamination and to manage the risk of animals scavenging on human remains.
Sources confirmed that several dogs were killed when the London-bound Air India flight crashed into the medical college hostel last Thursday, adding that at least one peacock also perished in the crash.
"We have handed over the body of the peacock to the forest department, as it is a Schedule One protected bird," said Naresh Rajput, who serve as head of the cattle nuisance control department (CNCD) of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and is also involved in the rescue and clearance operations. Even as the crash site remains under close watch, the loss of both human and animal life continues to haunt those working on the ground.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Iran Conducts NUCLEAR TEST, Explosions Trigger 5.1 Quake Amid Israel War? Panic Amid Speculations
Air India Crash: Miracle Survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh Discharged, to Perform Brother's Last Rites Air India crash survivor Viswas Kumar Ramesh has been discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and is heading home to perform the last rites of his younger brother, who perished in the April 12 crash. Ramesh, the only survivor among 242 passengers on the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was flung out of the aircraft after it broke apart mid-takeoff. His seat, 11A, detached and landed near ground level, sparing him the deadly fireball. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, called his survival a miracle and expressed disbelief at how he made it out alive. A viral video earlier showed him emerging from the BJ Medical campus minutes after the crash. Ramesh is now returning home not to celebrate life, but to bid farewell to his brother. PM Modi and HM Amit Shah had visited him during his recovery. As he prepares for the cremation, his story remains a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of overwhelming tragedy.#AirIndiaCrash #ViswashkumarRamesh #Boeing787Crash #MiracleSurvivor #BJMedicalTragedy #IndiaUK #ModiAhmedabadVisit #AviationDisaster #CrashSurvivorStory #PlaneCrashIndia #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 34.3K views | 2 days ago

Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
'Khamenei In Control': Israel's Iran Mission Collapsing? Big Admission By Netanyahu Govt
Air India Crash: Miracle Survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh Discharged, to Perform Brother's Last Rites Air India crash survivor Viswas Kumar Ramesh has been discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and is heading home to perform the last rites of his younger brother, who perished in the April 12 crash. Ramesh, the only survivor among 242 passengers on the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was flung out of the aircraft after it broke apart mid-takeoff. His seat, 11A, detached and landed near ground level, sparing him the deadly fireball. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, called his survival a miracle and expressed disbelief at how he made it out alive. A viral video earlier showed him emerging from the BJ Medical campus minutes after the crash. Ramesh is now returning home not to celebrate life, but to bid farewell to his brother. PM Modi and HM Amit Shah had visited him during his recovery. As he prepares for the cremation, his story remains a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of overwhelming tragedy.#AirIndiaCrash #ViswashkumarRamesh #Boeing787Crash #MiracleSurvivor #BJMedicalTragedy #IndiaUK #ModiAhmedabadVisit #AviationDisaster #CrashSurvivorStory #PlaneCrashIndia #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 34.3K views | 2 days ago

Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
England coach Tim Southee lauds Gill, Jaiswal after Day 1 domination at Headingley
Air India Crash: Miracle Survivor Vishwas Kumar Ramesh Discharged, to Perform Brother's Last Rites Air India crash survivor Viswas Kumar Ramesh has been discharged from Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and is heading home to perform the last rites of his younger brother, who perished in the April 12 crash. Ramesh, the only survivor among 242 passengers on the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was flung out of the aircraft after it broke apart mid-takeoff. His seat, 11A, detached and landed near ground level, sparing him the deadly fireball. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, called his survival a miracle and expressed disbelief at how he made it out alive. A viral video earlier showed him emerging from the BJ Medical campus minutes after the crash. Ramesh is now returning home not to celebrate life, but to bid farewell to his brother. PM Modi and HM Amit Shah had visited him during his recovery. As he prepares for the cremation, his story remains a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of overwhelming tragedy.#AirIndiaCrash #ViswashkumarRamesh #Boeing787Crash #MiracleSurvivor #BJMedicalTragedy #IndiaUK #ModiAhmedabadVisit #AviationDisaster #CrashSurvivorStory #PlaneCrashIndia #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews 32.7K views | 2 days ago