In the devastating aftermath of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, the grieving parents of Dr. Prateek Joshi and Dr. Komi Joshi have shared their heartbreak over losing their children and grandchildren — a young family that was on the cusp of starting a new life in London.
Dr. Prateek Joshi, a radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital in the UK, his wife Dr. Komi Joshi, a pathologist from Udaipur, and their three children — 9-year-old Miraya and 4-year-old twin boys, Nakul and Pradyut — perished in the crash that killed 241 of the 242 people on board the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on June 12. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, crashing into the Meghani Nagar area.
Speaking to media, a heartbroken Dr. JP Joshi, father of Dr. Prateek, recounted their last moments together.
“My son had returned to take his family back with him to London. He usually avoided direct flights but said this time it would be easier for the children. His wife had resigned from her job in Udaipur, packed everything alone, and even arranged the children’s school transfer certificates. My grandsons were so excited; they kept their new school bags close as they slept the night before, saying they’d now study in London. Their birthdays were on August 15 — they would have turned five. But now both of them are free. Before leaving, my son told me, ‘Papa, get ready to come to London too.’ I told him to first settle down, then I would join him. Now none of that will happen. Not a single word from the airline has come to us.”
A touching photograph — a family selfie taken by Dr. Prateek Joshi aboard the plane — has gone viral, showing the smiling family moments before the tragic crash.
Dr. Anil Vyas, father of Dr. Komi Joshi, described his daughter’s final video call from the runway.
“I spoke to her at 1:32 PM. She called from the plane, asking to speak with her mother, but her mother was in the operation theatre. I told Komi not to hurry, to speak once she reached Derby. Just 15 minutes later, I got calls asking about the flight — then came the dreadful news that their plane had crashed. We rushed to the airport and the hospital but couldn’t find them. Later, we gave DNA samples. We request the government to either return their remains quickly or at least tell us the truth if nothing is left.”
The family had been planning a fresh start in the UK. Dr. Komi had resigned from Pacific Hospital, Udaipur, to join her husband and children in Derby.
The Air India Flight AI-171, carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian, crashed just minutes after takeoff, killing all but one passenger, British-Indian national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, who miraculously survived.
Amidst their profound grief, the families have called for a swift and transparent investigation into the crash. They also urged authorities to improve airline safety so that such tragedies never befall another family.
Meanwhile, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and DGCA have launched a probe into the crash, focusing on possible fuel contamination and technical failures after experts, including former NAL Deputy Director Saligram J. Murlidhar, raised concerns about a simultaneous twin engine failure — an extremely rare aviation event.
For the Joshi and Vyas families, however, these technical details bring little comfort as they grapple with the irreplaceable loss of an entire generation of dreams.