The Air India AI171 plane crash near Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon claimed the lives of 241 persons, including Senior BJP leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Rupani suffered serious injuries in the crash, shared his office earlier today. Rupani reportedly appeared on the flight manifest as passenger number 12. Rupani was on board the tragic plane that crashed in the Meghaninagar neighbourhood close to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, according to confirmation from Union Minister CR Patil. "Vijay Rupani was taking a plane to London to visit his relatives. The catastrophic airline disaster claimed the lives of 241 people, including him. "May God grant the deceased soul peace," Patil said to reporters.
Shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport at 1:38 pm, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was carrying 242 passengers, crashed. Twelve of the 242 passengers—two pilots and ten cabin staff members—were from the airlines. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar were in charge of the aircraft.
As per the seating chart, Vijay Rupani was in seat 2D of the Air India flight. He was going to London to meet his daughter.
From August 2016 to September 2021, Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat's 16th chief minister. Known for his calm manner and strict management style, he led Gujarat through a crucial stage of the post-COVID recovery. Initiatives for tribal upliftment and the Gujarat Industrial Policy 2020 were also introduced under his administration. As part of a party plan to revitalise leadership prior to state elections, he resigned as Chief Minister in September 2021 and then Bhupendra Patel became the next CM of Gujarat.
Offering condolences on his sad demise, Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh said, "Saddened by the tragic demise of former Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani Ji in the unfortunate plane crash near Ahmedabad. His unwavering commitment to public service will always be remembered. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones in this moment of grief," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
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According to Air India, the doomed airline carried 169 Indians, 53 British, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens. For additional information, the airline has established a dedicated passenger hotline at 1800 5691 444.