Rt Col Arvind Mathur, Chief Security Officer, Civil Hospital, AhmedabadJune 12, 1:40 PM — the moment that changed everything.”I was at my desk when my phone rang. The words were brief, but heavy: ‘A big blast has happened.’ I didn’t wait. I immediately informed the Civil Superintendent and alerted all security personnel across the Civil Hospital.””My instinct led me straight to the site. As I reached, smoke hung in the air like a shadow of what had just fallen from the sky. People were running in panic, and the air was thick with fear. The fire team had already arrived. Then came the chilling truth – it wasn’t just a blast. A plane had crashed.””I saw twisted metal, burning debris, and silent screams rising from the crowd. But I knew my duty was calling elsewhere. I rushed back to Civil Hospital. The trauma center was about to become the frontline of the disaster. Injured survivors started arriving by ambulance, and so did hundreds of people – relatives, media, volunteers. In chaos, people try to help, but sometimes they add to the confusion.””My team and I quickly formed human chains, cleared space, and brought order where there was panic. We held the crowd back so doctors could save lives. In that moment, the hospital was more than a building — it was hope.”Dr Kavin Kotdia, Intern Doctor, B.J. Medical College”We were in the mess hall when everything shook. At first, we didn’t know what had happened. A loud sound. Vibrations in the walls. Then someone shouted, ‘Plane crash!’ We rushed out and saw our hostel building collapsing. Dust, screams, blood — it was all happening at once. Without thinking twice, I joined others in pulling our fellow students out of the rubble.”
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