In crash-affected Ahmedabad localities, sounds of aircraft engine makes residents jittery

Ahmedabad: For children of Meghaninagar in Ahmedabad, spotting an aircraft swooshing by above their homes used to be a fun activity, but the deadly crash of an Air India flight in their locality has robbed them of this simple joy.

Things will never be the same again for the people of the Meghaninagar and Asarwa areas located close to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, who witnessed one of the worst aviation disasters in the country that killed 265 people in a matter of seconds.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner (AI 171), with 242 people on board, crashed into a medical college hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Yash Parmar recalls growing up to the sound of aircraft passing overhead and watching the majestic machines cruising across the sky with his friends from their terrace.

"We used to wave at planes. It was our favourite activity until that crash happened. Now, every time a plane passes by, it gives us jitters. The sound of engines now makes us uneasy. We no longer sit on terraces to wave back at the planes. Our parents, out of concern, have stopped us from going to the terrace," he says.

Hitesh Shah, a resident of Asarwa, who witnessed the large ball of fire following the crash, said people's perspective towards planes has changed after the accident.

"People of this area were used to large planes flying above their homes every hour. We never thought that an aircraft would crash. But now, everyone is scared, and they pray every time they hear the sound of an aircraft engine. We now see every plane with suspicion, hoping that it does not crash on us," Shah said.

The crash has not only left behind a trail of destruction and grieving families of the dead, but it has also scarred the minds of residents of these localities who were so used to the sound of an aircraft.

Heeraben Prajapati, a resident of Meghaninagar, said many women like her thought that enemy planes had bombed the airport, and people even ran for cover after seeing the huge cloud of fire and smoke.

"Low-flying planes and vibration inside our homes were part of our lives, and we never bothered. But now, we come out of our homes every time a plane passes in the afternoon and hope that it does not crash like that ill-fated aircraft. Many can't sleep properly out of fear," she said.