The BJ Medical College’s residential dorm was bustling with students enjoying lunch on a warm Thursday afternoon. The sound of laughs, buddy banter, and the occasional scholarly conversation filled the room.
At least thirty-five persons were at the cafeteria by 13:39 local time. While some were waiting in queue for their turn, others had already gathered their meal and were relaxing. Doctors and relatives mixed with the students. Then everything was different. The sound of incoming jet engines cut through the canteen’s overall buzz, and suddenly the place erupted.
Just 1.5 kilometres (4,800 feet) away, Flight AI171 had taken off from the runway at Ahmedabad’s airport less than a minute ago. With 242 passengers, the Air India 787 Dreamliner was headed for London.
However, something had gone horribly wrong, and the jet was in trouble just seconds after its wheels lifted off the ground. A mayday call was received before it crashed into a crowded residential area on top of the physicians’ hostel. This caused a huge fireball to shoot into the air, killing everyone on board save for one.
To put together what happened in those dreadful few seconds, the BBC has interviewed eyewitnesses, including students who were at the hostel, as well as friends of the training physicians who perished and their lecturers.
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