Ahmedabad: Union Minister and Gujarat BJP president CR Patil confirmed on Thursday that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed when Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
"Our leader, former Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani, was travelling on this flight to visit his family. He too perished in this tragedy. May God grant peace to his soul," Patil told reporters.
The minister added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had departed for Ahmedabad to assess the situation.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew bound for London Gatwick, went down in a residential area near the airport. Initial reports suggested no survivors, but Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik later told ANI, "Rescuers have located one survivor in seat 11A who is currently receiving medical treatment. The casualty count remains uncertain as the aircraft impacted a populated area."
Authorities cautioned that the death toll may rise significantly given the crash's location in Meghani Nagar, where the plane struck a medical college hostel. Emergency services continue search operations at the wreckage site.
