Follow Us;Resize=(820,462) "Ahmedabad plane crash site")
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi confirmed that all salvaged items are being recorded and will be returned to the victims' families.
Ahmedabad: A 56-year-old construction businessman, Raju Patel, became a hero on June 12 when he sprang into action moments after a jumbo jet crashed near BJ Medical College. As smoke billowed and flames consumed the wreckage of Air India flight AI-171, Patel didn’t wait for instructions—he rushed to the scene with his crew, arriving within five minutes of the impact.
“The fire was so intense at first, we couldn’t get close for nearly 20 minutes,” Patel recalled. But as the first fire brigade and ambulances reached the site, he and his team jumped in to help the injured. With no stretchers available, they used sarees and bedsheets to carry survivors to safety. “We just did what we could,” he said humbly. The authorities allowed Patel’s team to remain at the site, assisting rescue operations until 9 pm.
Personal belongings recovered
Once emergency services gained control, Patel’s team shifted their focus to recovering personal belongings from the debris. Amid the scorched wreckage, they found over 800 grams of gold jewellery, ₹80,000 in cash, several passports, and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita—all of which they handed over to the police.
Related Articles
"I'm just thankful we were able to help in some way," said Patel, who has a long history of stepping up during crises, including the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts. "Back then, I was only about 100 metres away from the civil hospital when one of the bombs went off," he recalled. "But the devastation this time—the fire, the wreckage—it's something that will stay with me forever," he added.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi confirmed that all salvaged items are being recorded and will be returned to the victims' families.
