Blistering Heat, Thick Black Smoke, Tonnes of Wreckage, and Charred Bodies Hamper Rescue Operations

At around 1:30 PM, Rukum Singh, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, who mans a barrack at the Ahmedabad airport, was about to retire for lunch. A flight flew by. Nothing unusual for him바카라�he sees dozens of flights fly by every day. He turned towards the door of the barrack to make an exit. A few seconds later, he heard a loud crash. He looked in that direction and saw the flight he had just seen turn into a ball of fire. Thick black smoke engulfed the sky. And then there was silence. He knew the magnitude of the disaster. 

A couple of hours later, Singh and his co-worker, who was in the room with him, were standing at the crash site바카라�the site where Air India바카라�s London-bound flight carrying 242 passengers crashed moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International airport in Ahmedabad. It crashed into the staff quarters of BJ Medical College hostel바카라�all four buildings have suffered extensive damage.

Describing the last few moments of the flight, Singh says: 바카라�The tail of the plane crashed into the first building. The remaining body of the plane crashed into the next three buildings, damaging all four. There were people inside. I don't know how many survived. Or died.바카라�

Just a few hours after the crash, the area had turned into a tale of tragedy, death, destruction and devastation. Dozens of ambulances and fire brigades were rushing to the spot. Citizens took it upon themselves to divert the traffic and allow the smooth passage of rescue vehicles. A few volunteers were distributing masks as the flumes from the crash site had covered the area with black smoke and the visibility was near zero. One could feel the soot and the smoke in their throats.

Since the crash happened in a densely-populated residential area바카라�Meghaninagar바카라�hundreds had gathered at the site. While some were curious onlookers, some turned into self-appointed rescue workers. Three bulldozers were trying to carefully remove the wreckage of the plane. There were bodies buried inside and the bulldozers proved to be too heavy for the charred bodies. So, metal cutters were delivered to the site. 바카라�We can바카라�t move the wreckage pieces as they are too heavy. I saw many bodies inside, completely charred. So we have to be careful,바카라� said Charu Singh, a fire brigade personnel.

The wreckage was strewn across a large area. Everything had turned into ashes, but there were remains of the flight바카라�a grim reminder that there were people on board, who had just taken off and were looking forward to safe travels. A seat belt, a shoe, an oxygen mask, remains of baggage, strips of medication, burnt clothes, a wheel, a portion of the wing with the logo. The fire had charred the trees in the vicinity. The fallen branches and trunks were hindering rescue operations.

A few people arrived with bundles of white sheets to drape the bodies in. More were ordered. Gradually, one by one, the charred bodies were transported into ambulances and taken to hospitals.

At one point, there was chaos. The bulldozers suddenly moved backward and a small explosion was heard. People started rushing out of the compound. Once again, there was black smoke everywhere.

At another point, one of the charred buildings, whose foundation had shaken after the blast, shook mildly. Again there was panic. Soon after, the boundary wall of the compound collapsed.

The blistering heat, the black smoke and the puddle of water everywhere made rescue operations extremely difficult. Every time a domestic flight flew past, people looked up with anxiety and uncertainty.

While officials are yet to release the exact number of people who died in the crash, or survived, the rescue workers and officials at the site were not very optimistic.

The evening breeze brought some respite. As the Sun was about to set, there were other worries바카라�how to continue the rescue operations at night. Arrangements were made to arrange for big generators and flood lights. The plan was to clear the debris and clean the site during the night.

바카라�When I woke up in the morning, I never imagined this is what I will get to see today,바카라� said Rukum Singh, his voice choking.