Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad to meet victims injured in Thursday’s Air India AI171 plane crash, which claimed 265 lives in one of the country’s deadliest aviation disasters.
Modi spent time in the C7 ward, where 25 injured patients are currently receiving treatment. Among those he met was Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor from the aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff.
The Prime Minister also interacted with medical professionals and staff at the hospital, expressing gratitude for their efforts and urging continued top-level care for the injured.
The tragedy unfolded on Thursday afternoon when Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital in Meghaninagar, just minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The ill-fated aircraft was carrying 242 people, including:
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168 Indian nationals
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53 British nationals
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7 Portuguese nationals
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1 Canadian national
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2 pilots and 10 crew members
Among the dead were former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, four MBBS students, and the wife of a doctor, who were caught in the devastation at the college complex.
Vishwas Kumar Ramesh’s miraculous survival has offered a rare glimmer of hope in the face of the widespread destruction. Hospital officials described his condition as stable, and he is expected to make a recovery.
This horrific incident has left the nation in mourning, prompting condolences and emergency responses at the highest level. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts to identify victims through DNA testing continue.
