Ahmedabad medical college hostel damaged in Air India crash to be reconstructed, work to start in 3 months

No memorial to be built at crash site; Tata Group paid Rs 53 crore and govt will put in Rs 50 crore for new building
Nine months after the deadly crash of the AI-171 Air India flight severely damaged the hostel building of B J Medical College in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government has decided to build a new hostel complex at the site.

The existing building, which has been declared unsafe, will be pulled down and a new building with three times the earlier accommodation capacity will be built, top officials said.

The government also ruled out the initial talks of creating a memorial at the crash site.

“There will be no memorial at the site since it was a hostel and a new hostel building will be built,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Praful Pansheriya told The Indian Express .

The Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Gatwick in London with over 240 passengers and crew members on board, crashed shortly after take off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025.

The aircraft struck the hostel and canteen complex of the medical college.

Four MBBS students and a doctor’s wife were among the 260 persons – 241 on board the flight and 19 on the ground — killed in the tragedy.

One passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh hailing from Diu, a British citizen, had a miraculous escape in the air crash.

“The compensation for the damages has been received from the Tata Group (which owns Air India).

The BJ medical college hostel building will be reconstructed soon using the money transferred by the Tata Group and government fund,” Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Department) Rajeev Topno told The Indian Express.

The new building is estimated to cost around Rs 103 crore.

The Tata Group has paid Rs 53 crore and the state government will put in another Rs 50 crore for the project, officials said.

“The present building could accommodate 96 students and the new hostel will have the capacity to accommodate 292 students.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready and the work is expected to commence in three months.

We are awaiting administrative approval for the project and tenders will be floated once it is received,” P M Chaudhary, Chief Engineer, Health Department’s project management unit, told The Indian Express.

Officials said that the previous five-storey building will be expanded to an eleven-storey one to increase the capacity.

“There is a restriction on the height of the building since it is in close vicinity to the airport,” Chaudhary said.

The Air India plane crash on June 12 last year impacted four residential hostel blocks of Atulyam complex (Atulyam 1-4) and the boys hostel mess for MBBS students running from a separate building nearby.

These buildings suffered extensive damages.

Following the crash, buildings remain vacated as they were declared unusable.

Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism.

With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh.

Expertise
Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes:
Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City.

Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP.

Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets).

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