Guwahati, June 12 -- Gujarat is once again facing a somber moment in its political history, as former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has been confirmed among the casualties of the Air India AI-171 crash. Rupani, who served as the state's 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021 and was a senior BJP leader, was 68.

The tragedy unfolded when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar just five minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad. The aircraft was carrying 242 people and was under the command of Captain Sumit Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder.

Eyewitnesses described the crash as sudden and terrifying, with a massive explosion and towering plumes of black smoke engulfing the neighborhood....