From dreams to death in 33 seconds: Air India flight that never made it home
AI-171 crashed into the hostel building of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad 33 seconds after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Ahmedabad was witness to the grief of hundreds of inconsolable relatives of the victims of Thursday’s Air India crash that left around 260 people dead.
While investigators rushed to piece together the sequence of events from the few pieces of evidence that led to the first-ever fatal crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, families of the 241 passengers of the London-bound flight started pouring into the city to get information about their loved ones.
Among those on the flight were Ahmedabad-based Pinakin Shah and his wife Rupaben, who were en route to the UK to meet their son Rushab.
“Rushab had bought a new house (in Glasgow). The family was excited as Pinakin’s sister Janaki, who lived in Kuwait, and her two grandchildren were also going to be in the UK. Since Rushab and Janaki resided in two different countries, the coming together of the entire family was a rare occurrence,” said Utsav Shah, one of their relatives.
“After the plane tragedy, Janaki has come to India and gave her DNA samples for identification of bodies, while Rushab arrived early on Friday. He is traumatised and inconsolable,” he added.
AI-171 crashed into the hostel building of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad 33 seconds after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Visuals from the airport showed the flight gaining a certain altitude, then beginning to descend rapidly before slamming into the ground and exploding in a huge ball of fire.
The flight has left a chaotic trail of destruction in its wake, with hundreds dead, several missing, and relief operations impeded by the temperature of the burning jet fuel and a strong stench of scorched human remains.
Indore-based Harpreet Hora Kaur was on her way to London to celebrate her husband’s birthday.
“Before she was leaving for London, everyone sent congratulatory messages, even spoke to her over the phone. After that, we learned directly from the news about what happened... Her husband insisted she meets him in London for his birthday on June 16. Her father’s DNA test has been done,” said her relative Rajeev Singh Hora.
Forty-year-old Ashfaque Nanabawa said he had come to find his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who was on board with his wife and three-year-old daughter. “Akeel called us and said he was in the plane and had boarded safely and that everything was okay. That was his last call,” Ashfaque said.
“I have given my DNA samples but am yet to identify any of the bodies,” he added.
Ranjitha, a native of Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, had boarded the flight to return to her nursing job in the UK.
“I cannot come to terms with her death because she was with me at every stage of my life. To accept that her voice and her presence at the other end of the phone won’t be there anymore is going to be extremely difficult,” said her friend Dhanya T Nair.
Haryana-based Anju Sharma was going to England to meet her daughter.
“She was travelling to England to meet her daughter. Her parents stay in Kurukshetra . She used to be very active in the family...We got to know about this incident yesterday. She was the eldest in the family, and she used to keep everyone connected,” said her relative Sanjiv Kumar.
A father’s hope for his daughter’s success were dashed after Payal Khatik, who was on her way to pursue an M.Tech course at a college in London, lost her life.
“Her father’s DNA samples have been collected. The financial condition of the family is not good. Suresh Khatik supports his livelihood by pulling a rickshaw. Payal used to support the family through tuition. They took loans to support her education in London,” said one of their relatives.
Another victim, Sanket Goswami, who was heading to London to pursue higher education, was on board the AI171 plane. “My nephew lost his only son, Sanket Goswami. He was going to London to study. He was an enthusiastic boy. He has a younger sister,” his relative said.
Colleagues of Dr Pratik Joshi in Karnataka expressed their sorrow after he and his family –– his wife Dr Koni Vyas and their three children –– were killed in the incident. At KLE Medical College in Belagavi, Dr Joshi’s peers and staff held a moment of silence. “Just days ago, he spoke about moving to London. He had big dreams for his children’s education. It’s hard to believe he is gone,” Dr Prashant Basutkar, a close friend from Yadgir, said.
For crew member Shradha Dhavan and her friend, the noise of an airplane engine was the backdrop to an unbreakable friendship. Their bond, forged in the skies and strengthened by countless shared take-offs and landings, was characterised by a simple, unwavering ritual: a phone call after every landing or takeoff.
“For 21 years, ever since we joined Air India together, we never missed calling each other before or after every landing and takeoff. When Shradha was taking off from Ahmedabad on Thursday, I thought I would chat with her once the plane lands in London. But that call never happened,” her friend said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of eight victims were handed over to their families after identification on Friday, police said. “We have started the process of collecting DNA samples of relatives for profiling to identify bodies that are charred beyond recognition. Relatives of 215 victims have approached us to give their samples,” said inspector Chirag Gosai, who is handling the affairs at the post-mortem room of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
