When tragedy struck Ahmedabad last week, 56-year-old businessman Raju Patel didn’t hesitate. As news broke that an Air India flight had crashed into a residential area near BJ Medical College, Patel rushed to the scene—arriving just 15 minutes after the devastating impact.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 crashed seconds after takeoff, slamming into the medical college campus and claiming 274 lives—241 passengers and crew on board, along with more than two dozen people on the ground.
What Patel saw upon arrival was utter devastation—thick black smoke, raging flames, and the cries of the injured and bereaved echoing through the chaos. Undeterred, he joined locals in using whatever was available—clothes, mats, and stretchers—to carry the injured and lifeless to ambulances.
“When I reached the crash site, the smoke was overwhelming,” Patel told AajTak. “After the fire brigade managed to bring some of the blaze under control, we started pulling out victims.”
Many bodies were burned beyond recognition. Still, Patel persisted—working tirelessly alongside emergency crews and volunteers. Once rescue teams fully arrived, Patel turned his attention to another critical task: recovering personal belongings from the wreckage.
Near the Atulyam Building, where the aircraft’s engine had crashed, Patel and others used iron rods to shift debris. What they uncovered were scattered bags, valuables, and documents—items that might help families identify and recover their loved ones’ possessions.
“We recovered around ₹60,000 in cash, along with foreign currency, laptops, mobile phones, ID cards, and a significant amount of jewellery—necklaces, bangles, mangalsutras, rings, and silver items,” Patel said. “By 9 pm, we had gathered everything we could find and handed it all over to the police.”
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi later confirmed that each recovered item was being catalogued and would be returned to the families of the victims.
In the midst of unimaginable tragedy, Raju Patel’s selfless actions stand as a reminder of how ordinary citizens can become extraordinary heroes.
