logo
'Heartbeat Of The House': Air India 171 Flight Attendant Was Set For Wedding, Family Shattered

'Heartbeat Of The House': Air India 171 Flight Attendant Was Set For Wedding, Family Shattered

News1811 hours ago

Last Updated:
Several dreams were turned to ashes with the crash of Air India 171 on Thursday afternoon. One such story came to fore about the flight attendant Roshni Songhare.
The Air India 171 plane's crash in Ahmedabad turned several dreams and stories to ashes as the aircraft fell from the sky shortly after taking off for London on Thursday afternoon. All on board, except a British national, died in the fatal crash, which shook the entire country and the world.
One such story has now come to the fore about one of the flight attendants on the ill-fated flight – Roshni Songhare.
Hailing from Rajaji Path in Dombivli town of Maharashtra's Thane district, she was about to add a new chapter in her life with her wedding next year. She was about to tie the knot with a merchant navy officer in March 2026. Preparations for the same had already begun in her family, which has now been left with silence and memories.
Roshni, 26, had left her home just three days before the flight, excited for an international trip as a flight attendant, as usual, but this time from Ahmedabad to London. With the news of the crash, her 50-year-old father Rajendra, mother Shobha, and younger brother Vignesh were left completely shattered.
'She was the heartbeat of this home. We were getting her engaged in November and married in March. Time played cruelly with her," a close relative told reporters.
The Songhare family was a native of Mandangad in coastal Ratnagiri district; however, had moved to Mumbai for work and then shifted to Dombivli two years ago.
Roshni's father had worked tirelessly to educate both his children. She pursued and completed a flight attendant course.
She began her career with SpiceJet and later switched to Air India, where she opted for international assignments, her family members said.
'She was so happy to be flying again. We were all looking forward to her wedding. Everything was going right," said her uncle Praveen Sukhdere.
As soon as news of the plane crash broke, Roshni's family tried to contact her. When they couldn't reach her, panic set in. Her father and brother rushed to Ahmedabad, clinging to hope.
Roshni's fiancé, an officer in the merchant navy from Guhagar taluka and currently based in Thane, had met her through a family connection.
'She was finally getting everything she had worked so hard for," a neighbour said.
Besides being a flight attendant, she was also a social media influencer with over 54,000 Instagram followers.
Her account is now filled with messages of condolences. 'You flew high, Roshni. You just flew a little too far," a message read.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 14:04 IST

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

VVIP fire team first to respond to plane crash
VVIP fire team first to respond to plane crash

Time of India

time38 minutes ago

  • Time of India

VVIP fire team first to respond to plane crash

Ahmedabad: A special firefighting team stationed at Ahmedabad Airport for VVIP security was the first to respond to the devastating plane crash of AI 171 at Meghaninagar on Thursday afternoon. The team, originally assigned to accompany chief minister Bhupendra Patel's convoy, was already on standby near the runway when the Air India flight went down over the hostel complex housing resident doctors of the civil hospital. According to officials, the fire team was able to reach the crash site within minutes due to its proximity — less than 4km from the scene — making it the closest firefighting unit at the time of the incident. This quick response was followed by units from the Naroda Fire Station and a full brigade call that mobilised firefighting teams from across the city and beyond. In total, 61 firefighting vehicles from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), including 34 'Gajraj' trucks with 20,000-litre capacity each, were deployed to control the blaze. Additional support came from Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, ONGC, and nearby municipalities, bringing the total firefighting effort to over 100 vehicles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like For all your EV needs ScottishPower Learn More Undo Officials confirmed that approximately 7 lakh litres of water was used to douse the flames and prevent further spread of the fire. "The firefighting vehicle assigned to the CM's convoy played a key role in the initial response. Its swift arrival helped us begin operations even before other city units reached the site," said a senior AMC official. "Once the scale of the crash became clear, a city-wide brigade call was issued. Teams from 19 AMC fire stations were immediately dispatched." The incident led to the temporary closure of the Ahmedabad Airport runway. Emergency medical response was also ramped up, with AMC deploying ambulances and hearses to the crash site and aiding in transporting bodies to Civil Hospital for postmortem and identification procedures. In the aftermath, AMC's Fire and Emergency Services (AEFS) submitted a detailed report to the state govt outlining the timeline of emergency response, logistical challenges, and key recommendations to improve coordination during large-scale disasters. The report is expected to guide future emergency preparedness, particularly for incidents involving critical infrastructure and densely populated areas. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .

Last rites performed of MBBS student killed at A'bad hostel
Last rites performed of MBBS student killed at A'bad hostel

Time of India

time38 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Last rites performed of MBBS student killed at A'bad hostel

1 2 Jaipur: The last rites of Manav Bhadu, a young MBBS student from Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district, were performed Saturday amid an outpouring of grief after he lost his life in the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Manav, who was in the final stages of his medical education at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, was among the 14 victims from Rajasthan—12 onboard the plane and two students in the medical college where the aircraft crashed— who died the tragedy. Manav was having lunch at the hostel mess at the time of the crash. His death plunged his hometown in Dulmani on Pilibanga into mourning. He was the only son of Dalip Bhadu, who works at a private bank in Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district. Just 20 days ago, Manav had come home to spend time with family before going back to college in Ahmedabad. His mortal remains reached Pilibanga on Saturday. Emotional scenes played out as district and local administration, elected representatives and hundreds of residents gathered to pay their final respects. Jaiprakash Choudhary of Barmer, who was also pursuing MBBS from the same medical college, was killed as the plane hit his mess kitchen. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .

"Where Do We Go?" Ahmedabad Crash Strikes Fear In People Living Near Airports
"Where Do We Go?" Ahmedabad Crash Strikes Fear In People Living Near Airports

NDTV

time43 minutes ago

  • NDTV

"Where Do We Go?" Ahmedabad Crash Strikes Fear In People Living Near Airports

New Delhi: Densely populated pockets are located around airports in many cities across India and Thursday's Ahmedabad plane crash, in which at least 30 people were killed on the ground as well, has got residents worried about a tragedy like that hitting closer home. Air India Flight 171 - a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and could achieve an altitude of merely 625 feet before it began descending and crashed into the complex of the BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar - an aerial distance of less than two km. Of the 242 people on the plane, 241 were killed and at least 30 others died on the ground. The airport in Mumbai, which can handle more than 40 flights every hour, is surrounded by slums as well as posh homes, and residents of both say flights taking off sometimes give them the jitters now. "We are within 1 km of the runway. There is a service road nearby which sees a lot of fish sellers, there are other hawkers selling food items as well. The leftovers are then thrown there, attracting birds," said a resident of an area around the Mumbai airport, implying that the chances of bird hits increase because of this. "The vibrations from the aircraft also cause damage. Cracks develop in the buildings... we have to spend a lot on maintenance every year," said another resident. Residents of slums in Vile Parle (East) said they have been living there for decades but were still willing to shift if the government gives them a safer place to stay. "Of course, we are scared. But we have been living here for over 70 years, where do we go?" said one. The story is similar in Jaipur, where people living near the airport say the incident in Ahmedabad has shaken them. "We have been scared since Thursday. The planes take off day and night," a woman said. Memories Persist For people living close to the Patna airport, Ahmedabad does not just make them question 'what if', because many of them have lived through a similar disaster and are worried it may happen again. In July 2000, an Alliance Air Plane had crashed into Gardani Bagh near the airport while landing, killing 60 people, including five on the ground. "It happened right here," a resident of the area said. "I remember hearing a loud sound. We got scared. We are still a little scared, but what's the point? We have to live here." At ground zero, in Ahmedabad, the fear is palpable. A woman who ran a roadside stall near the airport lost her son as the plane crashed. "He was on the main road when the flames got to him. My daughter-in-law has also suffered severe burn injuries," she said. A resident of Meghani Colony, very close to the airport, said, "When the plane crashed, I thought it was a bomb or an earthquake. If it had hit this area, so many people would have died." "The plane was really close to our house. One of the wings clipped a tree. The number of people dead would have been much higher if it had landed in this area," said another.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store