Intact Bhagavad Gita Emerges From Burnt Debris of Air India Crash Site
In the smouldering, charred wreckage of the Air India Flight AI171 that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, a copy of the Bhagavad Gita has been discovered almost completely unscathed, a poignant discovery amidst one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. The sacred text survived the intense inferno that consumed the aircraft, a detail that has become a point of deep reflection for rescue workers and the public.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, went down minutes after takeoff, crashing into a hostel complex of the nearby BJ Medical College. The crash and subsequent fire have claimed 274 lives so far, including 241 passengers and crew and at least 33 people on the ground. There is only one known survivor from the flight.
Despite the massive blaze, which melted large sections of the aircraft and reduced most personal belongings to ash, the religious text was found remarkably preserved in the debris by a volunteer.
Saagar Amin, a hairstylist who rushed to the site to help, recounted the harrowing scenes and the moment of profound significance. “I reached the site around 1:30 to 2:00 pm and saw fire and debris everywhere,” he said. “The flames were twice my height.” It was in this devastation that he found the undamaged copy of the Bhagavad Gita. Reflecting on the lone survivor rescued from the blaze, he added, “It proves the saying— ‘Jako rakhe Saiyan, maar sake na koi’ (The one protected by God cannot be harmed).”
Videos of the discovery have since gone viral, with many calling it a “miracle amidst tragedy.”
The tragic incident involved the London-bound flight AI171 carrying 242 people (230 passengers and 12 crew). Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese citizens, and 1 Canadian. Rescue and recovery operations have been ongoing, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local fire departments sifting through the wreckage.
Meanwhile, investigative teams have begun their work to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft’s black box, containing the crucial Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), was recovered from the site on Friday. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe. Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered enhanced safety checks on Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners as a precautionary measure.
