‘My daughter is admitted’: Ahmedabad plane crash pushes doctor to tears amid hostel eviction
Ahmedabad: The recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad has left an indelible scar on the medical community of the city, with five doctors and four of their family members among the many lives lost. But it was a video of a young doctor, Dr Anil, breaking down in front of the camera that has captured the emotional devastation faced by the survivors.
Dr Anil, whose family was residing in the hostel complex of BJ Medical College that was severely damaged in the crash, was seen pleading for a brief delay in the evacuation process. In the viral video, his voice trembled as he cried, “My daughter is admitted. Please show some humanity,” asking officials for just two or three more days before vacating the premises.
The Air India flight AI171, which was bound for London, crashed into the mess building of BJ Medical College on Thursday afternoon, killing several and injuring more than 32 people, many of them doctors and mess staff. The mess, usually bustling during lunchtime, turned into a scene of horror as the aircraft tore through the structure. Some junior doctors had just entered when the disaster struck, leaving several critically wounded.
Among those who died were not just doctors but also their family members. Dr Pradeep Solanki, a neurosurgeon from Civil Hospital, lost his pregnant wife who was resting in their hostel room when the debris collapsed over her. Another devastating loss was faced by Dr Neelkanth, a student of onco-surgery, who lost three of his visiting family members — his mother, maternal uncle, and aunt.
Four blocks of hostels — housing doctors from UN Mehta Institute, Civil Hospital, and the Cancer Department — were affected in the crash. As part of the investigation and safety protocol, the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau began a probe and declared the buildings unsafe, prompting immediate evacuation orders. It was in this moment of stress that Dr Anil, overwhelmed by fear and lack of clarity, broke down on camera.
However, Dr Anil later released another video clarifying the situation. He explained that his panic stemmed from miscommunication with his wife, and he had not realised that the government had already allotted a flat for his family and arranged for shifting essentials. “I was unaware at that moment that all support was already being provided. I want to thank the officials for their timely help,” he said.
The BJ Medical College Dean, Dr Meenakshi Parekh, had earlier confirmed that the evacuation was essential for safety. “We have started the process of vacating four hostel buildings. Students are being shifted to UN Mehta Hostel, Dental College Hostel, Mithila Hostel, and we have rented 50 rooms for one year to ensure accommodation,” she said.
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Trump administration says its war in Iran has been 'terminated' before 60-day deadline
Washington (AP): The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.
The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration's position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb 28 have terminated.” The official said the US military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7.
While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the US Navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran's oil tankers from getting out to sea.
Under the War Powers Resolution, the law that sought to constrain a president's military powers, President Donald Trump had until Friday to seek congressional authorisation or cease fighting. The law also allows an administration to extend that deadline by 30 days.
Democrats have pushed the administration for formal approval of the Iran war, and the 60-day mark would likely have been a turning point for a swath of Republican lawmakers who backed temporary action against Tehran but insisted on congressional input for something longer.
“That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” said Sen Susan Collins, R-Maine, who voted Thursday in favour of a measure that would end military action in Iran since Congress hadn't given its approval. She added that “further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close."
Richard Goldberg, who served as director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction for the National Security Council during Trump's first term, said he has recommended to administration officials to simply transition to a new operation, which he suggested could be called “Epic Passage,” a sequel to Operation Epic Fury.
That new mission, he said, “would inherently be a mission of self-defence focused on reopening the strait while reserving the right to offensive action in support of restoring freedom of navigation.”
“That to me solves it all,” added Goldberg, who is now a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.
During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Hegseth said it was the administration's “understanding” that the 60-day clock was on pause while the two countries were in a ceasefire.
Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel at the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program and an expert on war powers, said that interpretation would be a “sizeable extension of previous legal gamesmanship” related to the 1973 law.
“To be very, very clear and unambiguous, nothing in the text or design of the War Powers Resolution suggests that the 60-day clock can be paused or terminated,” she said.
Other presidents have argued that the military action they've taken was not intense enough or was too intermittent to qualify under the War Powers Resolution. But Trump's war in Iran would certainly not be such a case, Ebright said, adding that lawmakers need to push back against the administration on that kind of argument.
