Ahmedabad: In one of the worst aviation tragedies in recent memory, Air India’s Ahmedabad-to-London flight turned into a massive fireball shortly after taking off from the city’s international airport at 1:39 pm on Thursday, claiming 241 lives out of the 242 people on board. Among the victims were also those on the ground — including 14-year-old Akash Patni, who was sleeping peacefully under a tree near his family’s tea stall.
Akash’s life was tragically cut short when the aircraft crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building in Ahmedabad’s Meghaninagar area.
“Akash was sleeping under a tree near the tea stall, which is adjacent to the hostel building into which the aircraft crashed. His mother Sitaben was preparing tea at the time. First, a large metal piece fell on Akash’s head and then he was engulfed in flames,” recounted his aunt Chandaben, who stood outside the civil hospital’s post-mortem room along with other grieving relatives.
Akash’s mother, Sitaben, was severely injured while trying to save her son.
“Sitaben sustained severe burns during an unsuccessful attempt to save Akash. She is now hospitalised. Akash’s body was charred beyond recognition and his father has given samples for DNA tests,” the aunt added.
At the civil hospital mortuary, another grieving parent, Suresh Mistry from Anand town, submitted his DNA sample in hopes of identifying the remains of his 21-year-old daughter, Krina Mistry.
“Krina had received a work permit visa for London a year back. She recently came back to Anand and met with an accident. After her dental surgery, she was going back to London on the ill-fated flight,” said Suresh, who is currently staying in a hotel as he awaits the results of the DNA analysis.
“She even called us from the aircraft saying everything was fine and that we could go back to Anand. When we reached home, we found out about the plane crash. I still cannot believe my beloved Krina is no more,” he said, holding back tears.
As the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) continues its probe into the incident, families of the victims wait for the painful confirmation of their loved ones’ identities. Many bodies were charred beyond recognition, making DNA testing essential for the identification process.