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Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Dengue's most dangerous serotype, DENV-2, circulating in Pune: Study
A major study being conducted in the city has revealed the presence of dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), the variant that is most commonly linked with severe cases and hospitalisation. This serotype has been found in 65-70% of the samples tested in the city, with most of them belonging to Genotype II - Lineage F11. The finding has raised serious public health concerns, especially since the monsoon season is known to cause an upsurge in mosquito-borne illnesses. The dengue genome sequencing is part of this vertical programme with the Genomics Laboratory at BJMC leading the sequencing work. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Titled, 'Prospective Observational Study to Map the Dengue Incidence in the Pune Municipal Region', the initiative started on March 24, 2023, through a collaboration between B.J. Medical College (BJMC), Pune, and Pune Knowledge Cluster Foundation. The ongoing study started taking serum samples from April 2023 and has tested around 5,000 samples so far for dengue, using ELISA and rapid diagnostic methods. The data confirmed a sharp seasonal rise in cases during August to October in both 2023 and 2024, consistent with monsoon-related mosquito activity. 'Whole genome sequencing of dengue-positive samples was done to provide data that will help develop vaccines and low-cost molecular diagnostic assays for testing the disease,' BJMC officials said. Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Professor and Head, Microbiology, BJMC, said, 'We believe this study will contribute valuable data that can be useful in the development of vaccines and affordable molecular diagnostic tests.' The Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) is using vector dynamics and viral epidemics to understand the prevalence of infectious diseases. The dengue genome sequencing is part of this vertical programme with the Genomics Laboratory at BJMC leading the sequencing work. Dr Rashmita Das, assistant professor, Microbiology, BJMC, said, 'Preliminary findings reveal that Type 2 was the most frequently identified serotype, detected in approximately 65-70% of the sequenced samples. A small fraction of samples could not be definitively genotyped, indicating the potential presence of novel or divergent strains.' Around 300 samples were tested using PCR to detect the viral genome, and 54 samples underwent whole genome sequencing. Shockingly, DENV-2 was found in 65-70% of the sequenced samples, most of them belonging to Genotype II - Lineage F11, followed by Genotype V. According to experts, DENV-2 is widely known to cause more severe disease, including dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock DENV-3 serotype, like DENV-2, can also lead to severe forms of dengue. However, DENV-3 and DENV-4 were found in less than 5% of the sequences. Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of BJMC and Sassoon General Hospital, said, 'The public health officials should intensify mosquito control measures, particularly in slum areas and construction sites. Citizens should get rid of stagnant water in their houses and surroundings, and use mosquito repellents. They should also avoid self-medication and seek medical attention promptly if symptoms such as high fever, body pain, and rashes appear. Treatment is available free of cost at Sassoon Hospital.' Dengue is a vector-borne viral infection caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is caused by four different serotypes of the dengue virus - DENV 1, DENV 2, DENV 3, and DENV 4. Infection can occur due to any one or more than one of the four serotypes. These four serotypes are further subdivided into distinct genotypes.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad Air India plane crash: Why us? The emotional aftermath of the air crash
A husband who refused to cry, a father insisting he didn't need a DNA test to identify his son, a crew member's family broken in spirit after waiting seven days for DNA confirmation. Two weeks after the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, psychiatrists are working through an emotional minefield to help families veering between denial and despair. The five commonly known stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — are playing out in ground zero of the June 12 disaster when the London-bound Air India plane crashed into the congested B.J. Medical College complex seconds after takeoff, killing 241 on board and 29 on ground. Only one passenger survived. The devastating air crash had shaken the city — and the people's lives — to the core. For many, it marked the beginning of an emotional journey more harrowing than they could have imagined. Air India Ahmedabad plane crash victims | Tales of grief and loss Amid the chaos, the Department of Psychiatry at B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad swung into immediate action. A team of psychiatrists — five senior residents and five consultants — were deployed around the clock across the hospital's Kasauti Bhavan, the postmortem building, and the Civil Superintendent's Office. Their mission: to support the surviving families through the mental trauma of a tragedy. 'The accident was unimaginable. Even bystanders were disturbed. Then what must be the condition of someone who lost their loved one?' said Dr. Minakshi Parikh, Dean and Head of Psychiatry at BJMC. 'If the people who heard the news were so disturbed, then it is not even within our scope to imagine the state of mind of the family members of people who lost their lives,' she told PTI. With horrifying images of the crash already circulating, families poured in — numb, desperate, and clinging to threads of hope. The mention of a lone survivor sent hearts racing. Many believed —needed to believe — it could be their loved one. 'There was an uncertainty whether one would be able to identify the loved ones they have lost and wait for matching of the DNA samples for three days. In some cases, samples of another relative of the kin had to be taken. The shock would have logically led to acute stress reactions and post-traumatic stress disorder,' Dr. Parikh said. 'There was complete denial,' recalled Dr. Urvika Parekh, an assistant professor who was part of the crisis team. 'They kept asking for updates, insisting their family member had survived. Breaking the news gently, while having no confirmation ourselves, was incredibly difficult. We had to provide psychological first aid before anything else,' she said. Dr. Parekh said the hopes of many relatives hinged on the news of a lone survivor who they felt could be their loved one. 'We had to deal with the denial and explain that nobody could have survived the horrific crash [except one who was not their relative],' she added. She said the relatives initially didn't want counselling as they were devastated and angry over the lack of information. 'It was also difficult to accept the truth without seeing the bodies of their loved ones. Counselling aided them at this critical juncture,' she said. A man, Dr. Parekh recalled, sat speechless, refusing to cry or talk. His wife had died in the crash. 'There was immense guilt —survivor guilt [that he is alive and his wife died]. We gave him anti-anxiety medication to help ease the immediate stress. Eventually, he began to speak. He talked about their plans, their memories. It was catharsis. We didn't interrupt — we just let him speak and communicated through silence and empathy,' Dr. Parekh said. She said in such cases empathetic listening played a crucial role. 'We were managing their anger, outburst, and their questions like 'Why us?' [why did it have to happen to us],' she said. For many, the most unbearable part was the wait. DNA confirmation could take up to 72 hours, sometimes longer. In the meantime, grief festered, fuelled by uncertainty. Some relatives insisted they could identify the bodies themselves. 'There was one father who kept saying he didn't need DNA tests — he could identify his son by his eyes,' Dr. Parekh shared. Ahmedabad plane crash Lone survivor discharged from hospital; attends brother's cremation in Diu 'We had to gently discourage that. Seeing their loved ones in such a state could trigger PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] and depression. We told them: it's better to remember them with a smile than with charred remains.' The team worked through the five stages of grief, though rarely in a linear way. 'People cycle through these stages. Someone might accept the loss in the morning and fall back into denial by evening,' said Dr. Parekh. 'So we mourned with them. That was part of the therapy'. Dr. Parekh stays in one of the buildings on the residential campus where the plane crashed after take-off. Her building didn't suffer any major damage. Sleep-deprived and broken by anticipation, many began to unravel. One Air India crew member's family waited seven days for DNA confirmation. 'The exhaustion, the helplessness — it broke her mentally,' said a relative. 'But the counselling helped. Those sessions were our only anchor.' 'A calm voice, the right amount of information, and simply being there — these saved a lot of families from spiralling into chaos,' said Dr. Parikh.
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'My daughter died in crash - 37 years earlier another relative died on flight'
Sanjana Palkhiwala was one of at least 270 people who died when an Air India plane crashed in the city of Ahmedabad on Saturday. Her father, Saurin Palkhiwala had previously lost a relative in a plane crash Last week, tragedy struck when an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into the hostel block of B. J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, resulting in at least 270 fatalities. Among those who perished was 26-year-old Sanjana Palkhiwala, who tragically lost her life en route to a reunion with university mates in the UK. Saurin Palkhiwala, Sanjana's father and a businessman, knows the agony of air disaster all too well, having a family link to the Indian Airlines Flight 113 catastrophe in 1988, which claimed 133 lives. "When I got the news of the AI 171 plane crash, shock numbed me, as I had witnessed a crash site before. Instinctively, I knew I had lost my daughter and prayed for her. I rushed home from the office, picked up my wife Sonali, and left for Civil Hospital," Palkhiwala shared with The Times of India. He also confided that accepting his daughter's passing as divine will has been the only solace for him and his wife during such an ordeal. "Sanjana was born to us 14 years after marriage. My wife is an ardent devotee of Goddess Gayatri, and when Sanjana was born, we were grateful for the divine gift." Meanwhile, ex-AAIB crash investigator Captain Kishore Chinta conveyed to the BBC that one of the black boxes might be sent to the United States 'to compare the data downloaded in India with that provided to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)." The first fatal incident involving a Boeing Dreamliner has tragically unfolded with the crash of Air India Flight 171. The cause of the disaster is still a mystery, following Boeing 's troubles that began in March 2019, when the 737 MAX was grounded due to safety concerns. Flight AI 171's crew sent out a distress signal after losing power and thrust shortly after takeoff, indicating a severe power outage. The plane was in the air for just about 30 seconds, covering less than a mile before it catastrophically fell from the sky, leading to multiple explosions and an immense inferno. The devastating crash claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew on board, along with at least 39 individuals on the ground within the hostel buildings. Ramesh Viswashkumar, aged 40 and the only passenger to survive, recounted the harrowing experience to Indian reporters. 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed,' he recounted. 'It all happened so quickly. 'When I got up,' he continued, 'there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me.' Viswashkumar, who was sitting in seat 11A, miraculously lived through the ordeal, unlike his brother Ajay, who was also on board but seated in a different row and perished in the crash.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad Crash: India Needs Better Flight Safety, Robust Systems
Published : Jun 22, 2025 15:27 IST - 1 MIN READ Air travel today is statistically the safest it has ever been. According to the International Air Transport Association, just one fatal accident for every 1.26 million flights was recorded in 2023. That level of safety has made aviation one of the most trusted modes of transport globally. But such confidence can be shattered in an instant. On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI–171, a Boeing 787–8 bound for London crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. It slammed into a building near B.J. Medical College, killing 241 of the 242 people on board—including 230 passengers and 12 crew—and claiming at least 39 more lives on the ground. The tragedy, now considered among the worst in India's aviation history, was made even more wrenching by images and videos taken by passengers moments before the flight—smiling faces, casual selfies, excited farewells—all of which now carry the unbearable weight of finality. As families grieve and try to process the scale of their loss, the nation is left confronting urgent questions. About how we build and maintain our airports. About the robustness of air traffic control systems. About how rigorously aircraft are inspected, how pilots are trained and tested, and how stringently safety norms are enforced. Even as we await the conclusions of the official probe, one imperative stands out: the tragedy must not be reduced to a data point. Its lessons must be codified: built into systems, procedures, accountability structures, and a culture of proactive safety. That is the only fitting tribute to the lives that were lost. And it is the least we owe them.
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Business Standard
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
ENG vs IND: Why are India and England players wearing black armbands?
Cricket briefly took a backseat on Friday as India and England come together to honour the victims of the devastating Ahmedabad air tragedy ahead of the first Test at Headingley. Both teams observed a minute's silence and are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives. The tragic incident took place on June 12, when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad, killing 274 people. The victims included 181 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens, making the tribute especially meaningful for both sides. India vice-captain Rishabh Pant expressed the team's sorrow, acknowledging the nation's pain and emphasizing their desire to bring some joy back through their performance. 'The emotions are high, but we'll give our best for the country,' Pant said. The crash, which shocked both nations and the global cricketing community, occurred when the aircraft lost control and hit a hostel at B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad. Only one person reportedly survived.
