The tragic plane crash of Air India flight AI171 that went down just minutes after taking off is being called one of the worst air crash in the country in three decades, killing at least 270 people, of which 241 were passengers and crew, and the rest were people on the ground around the crash site. Currently, forensic investigators and medical professionals are trying to find all the people hit; a final death toll is still pending.
DNA testing is still being conducted on many of the victims to confirm their identities before being handed over to their respective families. 80 of them have so far been identified, and 33 bodies have been handed over to families. Kanan Desai, deputy commissioner of police, Ahmedabad (zone 4), reportedly said, “The death toll based on the bodies recovered so far would be between 265 and 270.”
While people are debating about who’s at fault here, Air India or Boeing, insurance companies are trying to figure out the claims and money, government is giving compensation, or at least a promise of one (whether that will be fulfilled or not remains to be seen), it is important to keep in mind that there were real people who were at the center of this crash.
These real people who had friends, families, colleagues, and even kids, who are gone, and where all those remaining behind are just waiting to get news to collect the remains of their loved ones.
Colleague Reveals Victim Didn’t Want To Leave Son
The colleague of one of the passengers, Abdhiben Patel, also called Abdhi, recalled how she was worried about leaving her eight-year-old son to go to India. The 40-year-old working at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton had arrived in Ahmedabad just two weeks ago, as per reports, to take care of her elderly mother.
The woman who died in the crash, according to her colleague and friend Atif Karim (45), “didn’t want to go,” and he said that “She told me, ‘I just don’t like being away from him’. It was her first time leaving him, and she was very nervous… She wasn’t excited.” He further added that “It was a sense of duty. Her mum was unwell, but you could tell it was weighing on her.”
Karim also talked about how Abdhi, who moved to the UK in 2012, worked her way up the career ladder and managed the business for three years, was “totally devoted to him (her son) – her entire world revolved around him,” especially due to her husband working night shifts.
He also called her “the most diligent, reliable worker” but also talked about how she was a friend, a cheerful, bubbly personality who “left a real mark on the people she worked with and the customers she served,” and how “Yesterday, we had people coming in and crying their eyes out.”
Family Waits To Cremate Couple Together
The family of 28-year-old Pooja and 33-year-old Harshit Patel has also shared about how they were waiting for the remains of the couple to be found so they could be cremated together. Hailing from Gujarat, Pooja had moved to Leicester in the United Kingdom (UK) to pursue her business master’s degree and was then working at Amazon alongside her husband, Harshit.
Chandra Mate, Pooja’s 58-year-old mother, revealed to The Guardian that her daughter would call her three times a day, sharing with her about her life in the UK, showing her outfits.
Both Harshit and Pooja’s families, while coming from humble backgrounds, had spent all they owned to pay for the latter’s degree and their smooth life in the UK.
This was their first visit back home in two years, and Pooja’s mother recalled, “When I saw her after two years, it was a kind of joy I had never known,” adding, “The entire neighbourhood came out to greet her and Harshit. Her glow, her presence – everything about her had changed.”
Pooja and Harshit’s bodies still remain in the morgue of the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. While Harshit’s body has been identified, Pooja’s remains have not been found.
Harshit’s father, Anil Patel, has also said that they are waiting for the remains of both to be found before they can be cremated. He said, “In life, they were inseparable… I cannot separate them in death. We will only cremate them together.”
Pooja’s mother, speaking with The Guardian, said, “If only I had gone to drop her off, I would’ve had a few more hours with her.”
Read More: Demystifying The Black Box In An Airplane
Tea-Seller’s Son Ground Victim
The victims didn’t just include the cabin crews, pilots, and passengers, but also innocent people on the ground as well. One of them was 15-year-old Akash Patni, who was confirmed to have died in the impact of the plane crash.
The boy who lived in the neighbourhood was the son of a tea-seller and had been sleeping under a tree near his family’s tea stall. This stall was unfortunately located near the BJ Medical College hostel, which suffered destruction in the crash.
Akash’s elder brother, Kalpesh Patni, said “We have had the tea cart for the last 30 years. At the time of the incident, it was business as usual for my mother and brother. I received a call at 1.30 pm informing about the incident,” as per a Hindustan Times report.
Akash’s 40-year-old mother, Sita, had been together and while she survived, bearing burn injuries and was admitted to the Civil Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, the young boy unfortunately passed away.
Influencers Being Insensitive
Kuldeep Bhatt, cousin of Komi Vyas, a woman who died in the crash along with her husband Prateek Joshi and three children, spoke out against how influencers and content creators are trying to use this incident as a means to get views and traffic.
According to reports, Bhatt said “The biggest problem is that our family, as well as the families of 270 others, are going through mental trauma,” and how “social media influencers, in an attempt to increase their views, likes and followers, are misusing crash videos, posting doctored visuals.”
He also pointed out how social media users are creating fake images and videos, some of which are even AI-generated, and spreading false information using those.
Bhatt, talking about a private family photo that was manipulated, said, “When Komi and others were leaving the flight, they took a selfie and posted it in our family group. Now that photo has gone viral. People have been generating videos from that photo. One such video has gone viral throughout India. It’s AI-generated. The photo has been made into a fake video.”
He also recounted another incident of photos of the couple’s daughter shared online insensitively. Bhatt said, “Since yesterday, a photo has been circulating on social media that is hurting us a lot. The girl is Miraya, such a lovely girl. Now we have no idea about the DNA sample. It has not matched. On social media, people are claiming her body is burnt. There are even videos circulating that her cremation is taking place.”
About another false claim being shared online, he said, “One video being shared says it shows children’s bodies. But the symbols seen in the video are coffins of Hadap and Mohan Chaudhary, written in Chitra Akshar. It’s from some other incident. This is what we have to face – more mental trauma.”
Bhatt pleaded, “Photos of Komi are being misused. Fake accounts have been made. I request all social media influencers that please stop. Why are you giving us so much mental trauma just to increase your likes and followers?”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, BBC, The Guardian
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Air India, air india boeing, air india crash, air india crash news, boeing, Boeing 787, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Ahmedabad Plane Crash, Ahmedabad, air india plane crash, air india crash victims, air india plane crash victims
Disclaimer: We do not claim any rights or copyright over the images used; these have been sourced from Google. If there are any requests for credits or removals, the owner may kindly email us.
Other Recommendations:
Air India Tragedy: Another Plane Crash & It’s A Boeing Again
