One Year Since Ahmedabad Air India Crash: Families Still Struggle

One year has passed since the Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, which occurred on 12 June 2025. The flight, en route to London, collided with the BJ Medical College hostel in Meghaninagar, resulting in the deaths of 241 passengers and 19 individuals on the ground. Only one passenger survived the crash.

According to a ground report, the BJ Medical College hostel still bears visible marks of the tragedy, including bloodstains at the crash site. Families of the victims continue to grapple with the trauma, with some undergoing counseling and others developing a fear of flying.

Gujarat DGP Gyanendra Singh Malik, who was Ahmedabad Commissioner at the time, described the incident as the most painful chapter of his career. He recalled deploying over 500 police personnel within 30 minutes and reaching the site 15-20 minutes after the crash. Malik shared that the sight of charred bodies on the ground was deeply distressing. The first body was handed over to the family on 14 June 2025, after completing DNA matching and formalities.

Forensic scientist HP Sanghvi, Director of the Gujarat Directorate of Forensic Sciences, led a 38-member team to identify victims using biological samples and analyze electronic devices recovered from the debris. Sanghvi shared that the image of a severed hand, appearing to plead for help, remains etched in his memory. His team prepared 100 DNA profiles within the first 100 hours of the operation.

Key Points

• Air India flight AI-171 crashed on 12 June 2025, killing 260 people.
• The crash site at BJ Medical College hostel still shows traces of the tragedy.
• Families of victims continue to struggle with trauma, with some seeking counseling.
• Gujarat DGP Gyanendra Singh Malik described the incident as the most painful of his career.
• Forensic teams identified victims using DNA profiling and recovered data from debris.