Guwahati: Dr Tadie Mra, a 30-year-old senior resident doctor at Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute (GCRI) in Ahmedabad, had a narrow escape during Thursday’s tragic Air India plane crash.
Originally from Limeking in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, Dr Mra has been working at GCRI for the past three years, according to a report by Arunachal Times.
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On the day of the incident, he was having lunch at the undergraduate canteen after completing his shift at around 12:20 p.m., when he received an emergency call. A child required an ultrasound-guided biopsy, prompting him to return to duty.
“I considered heading to my hostel to shower and change, as my uniform got stained during lunch,” he said. “But I skipped it and rushed straight to the daycare center. Those four minutes made all the difference. Just as I arrived there, the crash occurred.”
At first, Dr Mra suspected an oxygen plant explosion. However, he soon realized the magnitude of the disaster after hearing from others and later confirming it through news reports. Due to his medical role and attire, authorities allowed him into the crash site.
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Although medical professionals often deal with trauma, Dr Mra said Thursday’s experience shook the entire team. “We routinely handle emergencies, but this incident left us mentally exhausted. Seeing around 250 deceased patients overwhelmed us. The mortuary couldn’t accommodate any more bodies.”
He said the rescue and medical response operation lasted until 6 p.m.
Following the incident, officials relocated all doctors from the affected residential quarters to the old GCRI building. Dr Mra had been staying just 200 meters from the crash site and was the only doctor from Arunachal Pradesh in the specialist quarters that were directly hit.
He also shared that the mother of a colleague, a surgical oncologist, has been missing since the crash. Reflecting on the timing, he noted that the situation could have been far worse. “If it had happened on a Sunday, more lives would have been lost. We usually stay indoors on our day off. Thankfully, most of us were out working when it occurred.”
He added, “Had the aircraft struck the hospital itself, which is only 20 meters away, the devastation would’ve been unimaginable.”
The crash triggered widespread mourning across the country and urgent calls for a comprehensive investigation into its cause. So far, authorities have confirmed the deaths of four trainee doctors, and reports suggest that over six doctors may have died in the crash.