Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is said to be on board the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad today. A picture of the former CM onboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and from the airport, shared by passengers, has left social media mourning the loss. As per reports, Vijay Rupani was flying from Ahmedabad to London.
Vijay Rupani feared to be onboard
The London-bound Air India flight crashed within a few minutes of take-off in Meghani Nagar. All 242 passengers onboard are feared dead. The flight reportedly crashed on a medical college's hostel mess and in a crowded area. Some locals, too, have lost their lives in the tragic incident. Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat's 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021.
Senior state BJP leader Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told OneIndia, "Vijay Rupani was going to London by the Air India flight" and further said, "I am going to the city civil hospital to inquire about him." IBT, India couldn't individually verify the picture of Vijay Rupani said to be from within the Air India plane, taken by a passenger as his last snap.
However, if the news does turn out to be true, this would be the second time a Gujarat CM would have lost his life in a tragic plane crash. Back in 1965, Gujarat's second CM, Balwantrai Mehta, had also lost his life in an unfortunate plane crash.
He was flying a Beechcraft from Ahmedabad to Mithapur when his plane was shot down by the Pakistani Air Force during the Indo-Pak war. He was killed along with his wife, crew and a few reporters. The Pakistani air force mistook the plane for a military threat and shot it down.
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