'They Were My Neighbours': Heartbreaking Stories Of Passengers Who Perished In Air India Crash
AI 171: The poignant and heartbreaking stories of passengers who lost their lives on the fateful Air India Dreamliner flight bound to London have surfaced on social media.
Air India Dreamliner crash that claimed the lives of 241 souls onboard AI-171 has sent shockwaves in India. The London-bound flight came crashing down moments after takeoff at the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. The visuals showed 787-8 being unable to maintain lift and stay airborne when the pilot sounded 'Mayday" but the tragedy struck moments later. The mid-size, twin-engine Boeing aircraft suffered its first-ever fatal accident as it came crashing down at a medical college's mess and burst into a fireball. Thick black smoke bellowed from the crash site and after an extensive rescue operation, one lone survivor emerged from the destroyed fuselage.
The country came together to mourn the loss of innocent lives, marking one of India's worst aviation tragedies.
Rajasthan Family
Pratik Joshi of Banswara, a software professional, had been living in London for the past six years. He had envisioned a dream to move permanently to the UK along with his wife and three young children that was to become a reality this week.
Pratik's wife Dr Komi Vyas, a medical professional, had quit her job two days ahead of the ill-fated flight.
Newlywed
Khushboo Kanwar of Araba Dudawata village in Rajasthan's Balotra district had recently married Vipul Singh Rajpurohit. Vipul, a London-based doctor, was eagerly waiting for his wife to join him in London. Khushboo was accompanied by her father, Madan Singh Rajpurohit, to the airport.
A photo of Khusbhoo and her father was snapped before she entered the airport and boarded the AI-171 flight.
This was their last photo together.
Neighbours
Shubh and Shagun Modi, the Udaipur siblings, were the children of prominent marble businessman Pinku Modi.
Shubh and Shagun, 24 and 22 respectively, had completed their MBAs and began contributing to their family business. The siblings were enroute London for a vacation and were to join and stay with a friend there.
An X user who claimed to be Shubh and Shagun's neighbour recounted how they grew up together through festivals and life.
'Among the passengers on that Air India flight… two were my neighbors.
A brother and sister. The girl was my age. Her brother was my brother's age. We grew up seeing them celebrating festivals, living their life. And today, their family is living every parent's worst nightmare. This doesn't feel like some distant headline anymore. It's right here. It's personal."
Among the passengers on that Air India flight… two were my neighbors.A brother and sister. The girl was my age. Her brother was my brother's age. We grew up seeing them celebrating festivals, living their life. And today, their family is living every parent's worst nightmare.…— Mudrika (@MudrikaKavdia) June 12, 2025
Also Read: Air India Crash: Rajasthan Newlywed On Way To Join Husband In London Among Victims
Husband Dies 7 Days After Wife's Death
London-based Arjun Patolia returned to India to immerse the ashes of his late wife Bharatiben.
'His wife's wish was that her ashes and flower urn be immersed in the pond and river of her native village in Amreli district," a user on 'X' noted.
One Arjun bhai has died in this plane crash. Arjun Bhai's wife passed away in London 7 days ago. His wife's wish was that her ashes and flower urn be immersed in the pond and river of her native village in Amreli district.And Arjun bhai had brought the urn containing the ashes… pic.twitter.com/NsgYnOSH8e
— Aneetha Siddhartha (@SiddhAneeta) June 12, 2025
After attending the religious ceremonies with family and relatives, Arjun was returning to his daughters aged four and eight in London.
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First Published:
June 13, 2025, 13:33 IST
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(Images: FAA) GLOSSARY: WHAT IS REVERSE THRUST, WHAT IS WIDEBODY JETWidebody Jet: A plane with two aisles inside, allowing more seats and space. They are typically used for international or long-haul Air Turbine (RAT): A small, foldable turbine that pops out during emergencies to generate power from the System: A network of pumps and fluid-powered lines that move key parts of the aircraft, like brakes, landing gear, and flight Gear: The front wheel of the landing gear. It helps steer the aircraft while on the ground and supports the nose during landing. A labelled side-view diagram of an aircraft in landing configuration, showing the deployed Ram Air Turbine, nose and main landing gear, spoilers, and flaps. (Image: Author/India Today) Dead-stick Glide: Flying and landing an aircraft without engine Hinged parts on the back edge of the wings that increase lift, helping the plane take off and land at slower Flat panels on the top of the wings that rise to reduce lift and slow the plane down, mainly used during descent and after Thrust: A feature that redirects engine thrust forward to slow the plane after landing. Without it, stopping requires more When a pilot aborts a landing and circles back to try again.- EndsTune InMust Watch
