Gujarat govt to rebuild hostel damaged in AI-171 crash; victims' kin seek memorial at site

Ahmedabad: The hostel complex of B J Medical College which was severely damaged in the last year's AI-171 Air India plane crash will be rebuilt, the Gujarat government said on Tuesday even as the families of some of the victims want the site to be preserved as a memorial.

The government will build a new ultra-modern hostel facility at the same site at an estimated cost of Rs 105 crore, Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said.

The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 crashed into the medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2005, killing 241 persons on board and 19 persons on the ground. One passenger survived.

In emails sent to authorities and shared by a law firm representing 115 victims, family members said the place should be preserved as a "space of memory and reflection".

"For us, this place is not merely land or infrastructure. It is a site connected to lives, memories, grief, and irreversible loss....A memorial would serve not only as a place of remembrance for families, but also as a permanent public acknowledgment of the lives lost and the importance of accountability and safety," said one email.

The relatives appealed that the government should consult them before taking any irreversible decision about the crash site.

Announcing the redevelopment plan, minister Pansheriya said the Tata Group, which owns Air India, has agreed to pay Rs 53.12 crore to the Health Department towards the damage caused to the 'Atulyam' 1 to 4 hostel blocks, canteen and sub-station building located near the Civil Hospital.

A structural audit conducted after the crash found that the buildings were unsafe, making demolition unavoidable. To ensure that accommodation facilities for students are not disrupted, the state government decided to construct a new hostel, Pansheriya said.

The project will include a ground-plus-8 'Atulyam 1 to 7' hostel complex with accommodation facilities for 236 doctors including those who are married and want to live with their spouses.

It will also include a canteen block and new sub-station building.

Each studio apartment-style unit will have a living room with attached kitchen, bedroom and toilet facilities, while the campus will also include basement parking, separate accommodation for unmarried PG students, a gymnasium, recreation room and landscaped areas, according to the government statement.

Pansheriya noted that a provision of Rs 34.65 crore has already been made for the project in the 2026-27 budget against an estimated allocation of Rs 51.84 crore.