Grieving families across India gathered on Sunday to lay to rest their loved ones, following one of the most devastating air disasters in decades. At least 279 people were killed when Air India Flight 171, bound for London, crashed into a residential area near Ahmedabad on Thursday, June 12.
Health authorities in Ahmedabad have started returning the first identified bodies to families. The process, based on DNA testing, is slow and painstaking. The victims’ remains, placed in white coffins, were handed over at the city’s mortuary, where emotions ran high.
“My heart is heavy. How do we hand over these bodies to the families?” said Tushar Leuva, an NGO volunteer aiding recovery efforts. “How will they react when the coffins arrive at their gates? But we have to do it,” he told AFP.
Some families were advised not to open the caskets. Witnesses to the aftermath described seeing severely burned bodies and scattered remains.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner erupted into flames shortly after takeoff, crashing into staff housing used by nearby medical facilities. Of the 242 people on board, only one survived. At least 38 additional deaths were reported on the ground.
As of Sunday morning, 31 passengers had been identified. “This is a delicate process that must be done thoroughly,” said Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Most of the injured residents have been discharged, though a few remain in critical care.
Investigation and Reactions
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the crash. India’s civil aviation ministry has ordered a fleet-wide inspection of all Air India Dreamliners. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that analysis of the flight data recorder, or “black box,” may provide critical answers.
The only survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, escaped with minor injuries. Tragically, his brother, who was also on the flight, did not survive. The passenger list included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, a Canadian, and 12 crew members.
Among the deceased was Arjun Patoliya, a father of two young girls, who had traveled to India to scatter his late wife’s ashes. His death leaves the children orphaned. “I hope those girls are cared for by all of us,” said Anjana Patel, mayor of Harrow, a borough in London where several victims lived. “There are no words for the grief these families must be experiencing.”
Missed Fate
Amid the tragedy, stories of narrow escapes also emerged. Bhoomi Chauhan, 28, said she survived only because she arrived late at the airport. “Check-in was already closed,” she told the Press Trust of India. “At the time, I was upset we missed the flight. Now I thank God.”
