Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Videos showing students jumping to safety from the balconies of the BJ Medical College hostel to escape fire caused by the crash of Air India flight AI171 have gone viral on social media. The aircraft had taken off from runway 23 at Ahmedabad Airport when it crashed into the hostel building moments later. The now-viral videos, which are gut-wrenching to watch, show how the students managed to leave the hostel. 

One of the videos shows students using bedsheets and other clothing as makeshift ropes to climb down to a lower balcony as another person holds one of their ends. From there, they used balcony grills to jump to safety. Flames can be seen engulfing the lower floors of the hostel as students scramble to escape.

News agencies spoke to some of the survivors, who recalled the panic and desperation they felt in the moments after the crash. Many said they had no choice but to “jump” from their balconies to survive.

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Arun Prashant, a student at the BJ Medical College, recounted that he was having lunch on the fifth floor when the aeroplane crashed into the building. 

“We heard a loud noise and explosion,” he said.

He, as per the outlet, further added, “Suddenly, smoke spread everywhere. We didn’t know what to do. We were surrounded by smoke. I ran to the first floor and then jumped out of the building from there. Some families were inside the building around the crash. Only after we came out of the building did we come to know that it was a plane crash. Rescue came after 15-20 minutes of us standing outside. We were around 20-30 people.”

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Another survivor, who also saved his life by jumping from the balcony of the hostel, said that the fire was “intense” and it was “impossible” for him to leave his flat.

“So, I jumped. That’s how I survived,” said Dr Tarun, adding that he sustained injuries in his arm due to the fall.

Yet another survivor fractured his foot in a desperate bid to escape the blaze.