Manav Bhadu, a 19-year-old student from Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, tragically lost his life in the Ahmedabad plane crash after the ill-fated aircraft struck the BJ Medical College campus, where he was studying.
Bhadu, a resident of Pilibanga town, had been enrolled at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad since August 2024. He was reportedly inside the college premises at the time of the crash.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Janesh Tanwar confirmed the student’s identity and said his last rites would be performed at his hometown today. “Manav Bhadu died in the crash of Air India Flight AI-171. He had been studying medicine in Ahmedabad for the past year,” the officer told ANI.
The devastating crash of the London-bound AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner on June 12 left 241 people dead, with only one survivor. The plane went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad International Airport, colliding with parts of the city, including the college building.
Given the condition of the victims’ bodies—charred beyond recognition—a large-scale DNA identification effort is underway. Over 250 DNA samples have already been collected from family members to aid the identification process.
In response to the tragedy, the Centre has formed a high-level multi-disciplinary committee led by the Union Home Secretary. The panel includes officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Indian Air Force, aviation safety experts, and disaster response teams. Their mandate includes investigating the root causes of the crash, reviewing existing protocols, assessing the emergency response, and suggesting comprehensive safety and response improvements.
The Civil Aviation Ministry emphasized that this committee will not replace formal investigations but will focus on preventing such incidents through new SOPs and coordination models.
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, has also announced a compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of each person who lost their life in the crash.
