A pall of grief hangs heavy over families across Gujarat and beyond, as they mourn the loss of loved ones killed in Thursday’s devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad.
The London-bound Flight AI-171 crashed soon after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 people. Only one passenger—a British national of Indian origin—survived. The disaster is being counted among the worst aviation tragedies in India’s history.
Among the victims was Anju Sharma, a resident of Vadodara, who was flying to London to meet her daughter. Her uncle, Balkishan Sharma, said he learned of her death through news reports. “I rarely watch TV. She was my brother’s eldest daughter. I found out about the tragedy from the news,” he said, visibly shaken.
In Uttarsanda village in Gujarat’s Kheda district, Rupal Patel’s family was in mourning. A UK resident for 15 years, Rupal had returned to India for a short visit to undergo medical treatment.
“My sister came for a week for surgery. She was feeling well and excited to return to her husband and three children in London,” said her brother Pawan Patel. “I dropped her at the airport, and by the time I reached home, I heard the devastating news.”
Rupal’s husband and their three children—a 13-year-old and twin 7-year-olds—left for Gujarat as soon as they were informed. “The kids were waiting for their mother to return. They had no idea she would never come back,” her husband said.
At Ahmedabad’s BJ Medical College, relatives waited anxiously through the night as forensic teams began DNA sampling to identify the victims, many of whom were charred beyond recognition.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror. “Smoke suddenly rose high in the sky. There was fire. We knew the flight had crashed,” said Jairam, who lives about two kilometres from the crash site.
Air India’s passenger list showed that at least 33 passengers were from Gujarat’s Anand district, 19 from Vadodara, and 17 from Kheda.
The government has assured full support to the bereaved families and promised a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
(With inputs from IANS)