A heartbreaking tragedy struck on Thursday as a doctor couple and their three young children lost their lives in the fatal crash of Air India Flight 171 near Ahmedabad.
The Air India crash, which occurred just seconds after takeoff, claimed nearly all 242 lives on board, leaving families and communities shattered.
Among the victims were Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi, along with their children — five-year-old twin sons Nakul and Pradyut, and eight-year-old daughter Miraya. The family had been en route to London to begin a new life, with Dr Vyas having recently resigned from her position at a hospital in Udaipur to reunite with her husband abroad.
A smiling selfie taken moments before takeoff has now become a heart-wrenching image — capturing what was meant to be the beginning of a joyful new chapter for the young family.
Dr Vyas and Dr Joshi had both worked at Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. A hospital spokesperson confirmed Komi had recently quit her job to relocate. “Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London,” they said. Dr Joshi had travelled to Banswara just days earlier to accompany his family on the journey. The family travelled to Ahmedabad a day ahead of the flight.
Dr Joshi’s cousin, Nayan, shared the emotional farewell: “Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. Several other members of both families went to see them off.”
The tragic crash took place only 32 seconds after the aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off at 1:38 p.m. Experts believe the aircraft may have lost power or failed to gain lift. “The take-off was perfect and just short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending,” said Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot. “This can happen only if the engine loses thrust or lift fails.”
Of the 242 people on board — 230 passengers, 10 crew members, and two pilots — only one person has survived. The lone survivor is 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national returning to the UK.
The image of the family’s final selfie, showing them smiling moments before takeoff, now serves as a haunting reminder of lives lost far too soon.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident. “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words,” he posted on X. “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.” He added that he is in touch with authorities and ministers to support those impacted.
