Gujarat 2025: Plane crash, bridge collapse cast pall of gloom; games rights, asiatic lions brought cheer

Ahmedabad: Gujarat witnessed a slew of tragedies during the year, which saw a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Air India plunge to the ground and erupt into a massive fireball, claiming 260 lives, the Gambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara district and a deadly inferno at a firecracker godown in Banaskantha.

While the Bhupendra Patel-led government's decision to set up a panel to implement the Uniform Civil Code drew criticism from the Opposition, Gujarat also had its moments of celebration with the state's selection as the host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and the encouraging number of Asiatic lions.

Nearly 40 seconds after Air India’s flight AI 171 to London Gatwick took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, the Boeing plane crashed into a medical hostel complex, in what was among the worst aviation disasters in recent history.

The accident killed 241 persons, including former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, on board the plane and 19 on the ground and shattered countless dreams across the globe.

Equally startling were the videos showing a bloodied and dazed man, an NRI from Diu settled in London, emerging from the wreckage and uttering “Plane fatyo chhe (plane exploded)”.

Vishwas Kumar, who was in seat 11A, told the media he had no clue how he survived. “I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was alive and saw an opening in the fuselage,” he said. He unbuckled himself, used his leg to push through that opening, and crawled out.

The partial collapse of a bridge on river Mahisagar near Gambhira village in Vadodara on June 0 shook the state.

Multiple vehicles using the four-decade-old overpass plunged into the river, leaving 21 dead.

The government came under severe criticism from the public over lapses in the inspection of the bridge, a key connector between central Gujarat and the Saurashtra region.

In more grim happenings, 18 persons lost their lives in April after an explosion and blaze ripped through a structure where firecrackers were allegedly stored and manufactured illegally in Banaskantha district.

A Coast Guard helicopter crashed at an airport on the outskirts of Porbandar city in January, leaving three dead. In September, six persons were killed after the cable of a cargo ropeway snapped on Pavagadh hill, known for the revered Mahakalika temple, in Panchmahal district.

On the political front, the BJP-led Gujarat government constituted a committee under retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai to explore the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state and prepare a draft bill for it.

The Opposition slammed the decision, accusing the ruling party of attempting to deflect attention from core issues like inflation and unemployment, and raising concerns about its impact on minority and tribal communities.

The expansion of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s cabinet in October brought in much drama, when 19 new ministers were inducted, and 10 incumbents dropped.

A day before the move, the BJP took the resignation of all 16 ministers in Patel’s government. However, on the day of swearing-in, the resignation of six ministers was not accepted. The strength of the council of ministers, including the CM, rose to 26 from 17 after the expansion.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi was elevated as the deputy chief minister of Gujarat. The 40-year-old MLA represents the Majura constituency of Surat.

In the bypolls in June, AAP’s former state president Gopal Italia emerged victorious in the Visavadar seat in Junagadh district, while the BJP won the Kadi constituency in Mehsana district. The results also prompted Congress state chief Shaktisinh Gohil to resign from his post.

The Gujarat police in November claimed to have busted a suspected terror syndicate planning to kill people by contaminating water sources across the country with ‘ricin’, a potent poison.

Three persons, including a doctor who had studied in China, were arrested. Police said the doctor and his handler were associated with the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State Khorasan Province.

In a major operation against illegal immigrants, the Gujarat police caught over 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals, living without valid papers, in Ahmedabad and Surat in April. The undocumented immigrants were subsequently deported to their native country.

The year also had its moments to cheer and roar, literally.

Gujarat bagged the rights to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Commonwealth nations ratified this decision in November.

A census conducted in May estimated that the population of Asiatic lions in the state increased to 891 from 674 five years ago.

Not only did the count rise by 217, but the big cats were also found outside the Gir National Park, their traditional habitat, and spread across 11 districts of Saurashtra, including non- forested and coastal areas.