A London-bound Air India flight carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 290 people, including all but one passenger, and doctors in a medical hostel were struck by the aircraft. The sole survivor, Ramesh Viswashkumar (seat 11A), described escaping through flames and debris. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims as rescue teams continue recovering bodies from the crash site.
• Catastrophic toll: 241 passengers and 49 ground victims confirmed dead, including medical professionals
• Miracle survivor: British national escaped via emergency exit, now hospitalized with injuries
• Historic tragedy: Marks India's deadliest aviation disaster in 15 years
• Investigation launched: Focus on engine failure reported 30 seconds after takeoff
How does a city mourn when tragedy strikes from both sky and ground? The Ahmedabad crash transcends aviation disaster - it's a parable of modern vulnerability. As planes grow safer globally, this incident exposes the lethal equation of mechanical failure plus urban density. The medical hostel's destruction compounds the horror: healers killed mid-training, their potential forever unrealized.
In survivor Viswashkumar's desperate search for his brother, we see the universal anguish of sudden loss - and the uncomfortable truth that safety is never guaranteed, whether at 30,000 feet or during a lunch break.
Sources: Ahmedabad Police, Air India, Hindustan Times, eyewitness accounts
