Ahmedabad, June 14: In the wake of the Air India plane crash near Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, authorities have vacated five hostel buildings housing resident doctors and medical students due to structural damage and safety concerns. Over 150 doctors from Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI), Civil Hospital, and the Heart Hospital have been relocated to temporary accommodations.
The affected buildings — Atulyam 1, 2, 3, and 4, located near Ghoda Camp, along with an additional hostel associated with B.J. Medical College — have been declared unsafe pending further inspection. The buildings sustained varying degrees of damage, with one reportedly suffering severe structural impact and three others moderately affected.
Each Atulyam building comprises 23 residential quarters, typically accommodating 2–3 residents per unit, with some shared by up to six doctors. Atulyam-2 was mainly occupied by GCRI residents, while Atulyam-3 housed doctors from Civil Hospital, Heart Hospital, and GCRI. Atulyam-1 and 4 included residents from various super-specialty departments.
Fortunately, most residents were on duty in outpatient departments and operation theatres at the time of the crash, which occurred Thursday afternoon. Those who were inside managed to escape with no reported casualties — some by fleeing through emergency exits and others by jumping over barriers.
In response to the emergency, authorities swiftly arranged alternate housing. The displaced residents have been shifted to special quarters in the old cancer building, Mithila quarters, Dental Faculty quarters, and Hospital Staff quarters. Around 80–90 GCRI residents and 70 from Civil Hospital have been moved.
Officials have indicated that depending on the results of ongoing structural audits, residents may be allowed to return to the least-damaged buildings in the coming days.
Meanwhile, a National Security Guard (NSG) team has been deployed at the crash site in Meghaninagar, where a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down. The aircraft’s tail remains embedded in one of the hostel buildings. The NSG is assisting with area security and recovery efforts, though the official investigation is being led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with support from DGCA, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, and local law enforcement.
