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More than three decades ago, Dr. Hasmukh Patel was a second-year intern at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital when a deadly plane crash shook the city. Now an MLA, he finds himself once again in the middle of a tragedy—same hospital, another crash, and the same trauma.
Indian Airlines Flight 113 Crash (1988)
Dr. Patel recalled the horrific day of October 19, 1988, when Indian Airlines Flight 113 crashed while attempting to land at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The plane went down due to poor visibility, killing 133 of the 135 people on board. It remains one of the deadliest crashes in Indian aviation history.
“The situation in the mortuary was quite similar then too,” he said in an interview with News18. “But at that time, we didn’t have DNA sampling to identify the deceased.”
Recent 2025 Crash: A Painful Reminder
On June 12, 2025, another plane crash shook Ahmedabad. An Air India Dreamliner 787, flight AI171 bound for London, crashed just minutes after takeoff. The aircraft hit the undergraduate hostel mess of BJ Medical College. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. The crash also left a mark on BJ Medical College; several students were injured, and a few lost their lives too.
The Situation at the Civil Hospital is looking like :
Now at the same Civil Hospital, Dr. Patel is once again helping coordinate the aftermath. He’s overseeing the DNA lab and assisting ministers on the ground.
“This time, we are using DNA identification so we can return the bodies to their families properly,” he said.
Survivors Then, Survivors Now
The 1988 crash had only two survivors. One was 42-year-old UK-based businessman C.K. Patel, who sustained fractures and burns and recalled crawling away just before flames took over. Another was Suraj Prasad, who had severe injuries and was hospitalized for months.
In the 2025 crash, there was again just one survivor—Vishwa Kumar Ramesh. He managed to stand up and run from the crash site. He is currently under psychiatric care and receiving counseling to process the trauma.
A Tragic Link
BJ Medical College, attached to Civil Hospital, has been connected to both crashes. In 1988, its hostel residents rushed to help; this time, their own students became the victims. For the staff, especially those who were present during the earlier tragedy, it feels like history is repeating in the worst possible way.
BJ Medical College was the backbone during the 1988 Indian Airlines air crash in Ahmedabad, where there were only 2 survivors.
Dr. MF Shaikh, Former Head of Burns and Plastic Surgery Department, BJ Medical College
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Pooja Bansal/MSM)
