Gujarat Responds Swiftly After Air India Crash

The Gujarat government pressed disaster management services into action within a few minutes of news coming of the terrible accident.

- ANAND SINGH

It was a warm Thursday afternoon, with the sun forcing many to take shelter in their homes. But around the same time, a major tragedy struck—a London-bound Air India flight, AI171, crashed within a minute of taking off from Ahmedabad airport, leaving 241 out of 242 passengers dead.

What stood out, however, was the rapid response by the Gujarat government, which pressed disaster management services into action within three minutes of the incident.

News of the AI171 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash spread like wildfire, with dramatic visuals pouring in from the site—marking one of the deadliest air crashes in India's aviation history.

Simultaneously, the Gujarat government acted swiftly, deploying the Indian Army, Rapid Action Force, fire services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) without delay.

The timely deployment of disaster response teams averted further chain reactions and minimized additional casualties.

According to senior Gujarat government officials, the state administration swiftly launched rescue and relief operations, ensuring that the injured were immediately transported to hospitals for urgent medical treatment.

Upon being informed of the incident, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel "promptly instructed the entire administrative machinery to mobilize for rescue and relief efforts," officials said.

They added that recognizing the severity of the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended full support through central agencies.