Gandhinagar: When Air India's AI171 crashed into the BJ Medical College premises in Gandhinagar, 56-year-old construction businessman Raju Patel didn’t think twice. Just minutes away from the site, Patel rushed in with his team, reaching within five minutes of the tragic accident.
Upon arrival, they were greeted with a horrific scene with thick smoke, blazing flames and the cries of the injured. “For the first 15 to 20 minutes, we could barely get close. The fire was too intense,” Patel told The Times of India. Once fire brigades and ambulances arrived, he and his team jumped into action, using sarees and bedsheets in the absence of stretchers to carry the wounded to safety.
Here are some visuals of the site after the crash:
By around 4:00 pm, as the immediate rescue operations neared completion, Patel and his associates took on a second task, salvaging what they could from the charred wreckage and debris.
Gold, Cash and Bhagavad Gita Returned to Officials
Patel’s team recovered 70 tolas of gold jewellery, Rs 80,000 in cash, several passports, and even a copy of the Bhagavad Gita from the site. Every item was handed over to the authorities. “We found gold in boxes, bangles and other ornaments scattered in the debris,” he told TOI.
Authorities allowed them to assist at the site until 9:00 pm that evening. Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi later confirmed that the collected belongings will be returned to the victims’ families after proper documentation.
Patel, who had earlier volunteered during the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts, said the aftermath of this crash was unlike anything he had ever seen. “The destruction, the flames, the loss wrought by the crash is something I will never forget,” he told the publication.
