Six months after the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171, the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Ahmedabad continues to stand as a stark reminder of the disaster. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed moments after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing all 260 passengers and crew on board. The once lively student neighborhood in Meghaninagar has been transformed into an eerie landscape of destruction and grief.

The Atulyam-4 hostel building and the adjoining canteen complex remain abandoned, with strict restrictions on entry. Scattered across the site are grim remnants of daily life — burnt vehicles, twisted furniture, charred books, and personal belongings. Burnt trees and blackened walls now replace the sounds of students’ chatter, leaving the area in unsettling silence.

Residents near the crash site continue to live under the shadow of the disaster. Many, like Mahendrasingh Jadeja, whose shop is just 50 meters from the impact site, recall the moment of the crash as an unimaginable calamity. “Even today, we instinctively look up whenever a plane passes overhead,” he said, reflecting the lasting trauma that the incident has left on locals.

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Eyewitnesses describe the horror vividly. Manubhai Rajput, a resident living barely 200 meters from the site, said the plane flew unusually low before crashing, creating thick black smoke and a deafening noise. Hundreds of locals rushed to the site immediately, even before police and emergency services arrived, demonstrating the community’s immediate response to the disaster.

Authorities have yet to decide on the future of the damaged hostel complex. A senior official from Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that the site remains off-limits to the public. The state government is still evaluating whether to rebuild, preserve, or repurpose the area.

The tragedy has left a lasting emotional impact on the neighborhood. Residents like Tinaben, who have lived near the airport for decades, say they never imagined such an incident could occur in Ahmedabad. “Despite being close to the airport, this area always felt safe. It’s still scary when a plane passes overhead,” she remarked, underscoring the deep psychological scars that remain six months after the crash.

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