Our Bureau

More than 500 personnel of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard were among those who helped in rescue efforts at the accident site where Air India aircraft crashed on Thursday. Union Ministers Amit Shah and Ram Mohan Naidu also visited Ahmedabad to oversee relief measures.

After the aircraft went down in a densely populated Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat government cordoned off the site and created a “green channel” for transporting the rescued and those dead in the disaster. “We had to create this corridor to quickly transport those injured in the accident and avoid the mob of curious onlookers,” said a Gujarat police official.

Rescue mission

Emergency response teams including firefighters, ambulances, police, SDRF and NDRF personnel were pressed into service. Six teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two from the Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. Indian Railways has deployed Vande Bharat trains to support stranded passengers. An Operational Control Room has been activated in Delhi and Ahmedabad. The BJP President JP Nadda said he talked to the Gujarat BJP Chief CR Paatil and State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel over the preparedness.

Meanwhile, Tata Group said it will provide ₹1 crore to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. “We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support. Additionally, we will provide support in the building up of the B J Medical’s hostel,” N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons said.

A help desk and assistant area was also set up at the Ahmedabad airport as it temporarily suspended operations after the crash. The airport later began partial operations. At the Ahmedabad civil hospital, similar help desk were set up to help the kin of passengers to register themselves for identification of their loved ones. Assistance was also provided for collection of DNA samples of the passenger’s kin.

Published on June 12, 2025