City that cared: In crash aftermath, Ahmedabad's humanity shines

Ahmedabad: When Prince Pattani, a young cricketer from Ahmedabad, took an unusual route to the cricket ground that day, he had no idea his life was about to change forever.

"I heard a huge blast and instinctively ran towards it," he recalled. He and his entire team of friends rushed to the crash site, where debris and devastation awaited them.

"We cracked open a windowpane and entered without thinking of our own lives," Prince said. "There were bodies dismantled, young doctors still clutching spoons in their hands, some with broken limbs. We managed to pull out at least seven to eight dead bodies, but we also found two people who were alive."


The tragedy drew others from across the city who came forward to help in any way they could. Enamul Iraqi, a businessman from Sarkhej, was among the first to respond.

On Thursday, as soon as news of the crash spread, he and his team from the Ahmedabad Muslim Seva Samaj reached Civil Hospital to offer assistance.

The next day, Iraqi returned with a truck loaded with chilled water, soft drinks, roasted peanuts, and snacks for the workers and grieving families at the crash site. "I'm a businessman," Iraqi said. "But in times like this, what can one do? One has to step forward to share what they have."

His friend, Maulvi Habib Ahmed Pathan, who runs a madrasa and an English-medium school in Saraspur, joined him in mobilising help. "There's nothing to say at times like these. You just stand with people and do what you can," he said.

Ketan Parikh, a retired Air India employee, also came down to volunteer at the DNA room to assist in the identification process.

The Ahmedabad Haj House opened its doors to the grieving families, offering shelter free of cost to at least 26 families, irrespective of their religion.

"Before and after the Haj, this place is a guest house, but now it's their home," said Mujju Pathan, a volunteer. "We've brought them here to offer whatever comfort we can."