12.06.2025 14:52
In India, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the passengers on the plane that crashed into a settlement just seconds after takeoff. Upon hearing the news, neighbors gathered in front of Rupani's house and said, "But nothing has been confirmed yet. We are extremely worried. I can't believe this is happening."
The Air India passenger plane flying from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, to London Gatwick Airport crashed 1 minute after takeoff.
242 PASSENGERS ON BOARD
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the Director General of Civil Aviation of India, stated that there were 242 people on board the crashed plane, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, and that emergency teams had been dispatched to the area near the airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It was reported that there were 169 Indian, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian citizen on the plane.
FORMER PRIME MINISTER WAS ALSO ON BOARD
According to reports in the Indian press, it was claimed that former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also on the crashed plane. According to a passenger list document accessed by India Today, Rupani was listed in 12th place and was traveling in the Business Class category. Rupani served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from August 2016 to September 2021 without resigning before the state elections in 2022.
NEIGHBORS ARE CONCERNED
Neighbors who heard the news began to gather outside Rupani's house. One neighbor said, "Yes, I heard that the plane crashed and that Vijay Rupani was on board. However, nothing has been confirmed yet. We are extremely worried. We live right next door. We have been neighbors since 1988. We are like family. My husband was their family doctor and was very close to them. I can't believe this is happening."
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET HIS DAUGHTER
According to information in the Indian press, it was learned that the former Chief Minister of Gujarat boarded the plane to meet his daughter in London. Rupani, a father of three, lost his son named Rujit in an accident.
WHO IS VIJAY RUPANI?
Vijay Rupani was born on August 2, 1956, in Myanmar. Rupani served as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021 and was one of the prominent figures of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Throughout his political career, he represented the Rajkot West constituency and held various ministerial positions.