Smiling Selfie On Ill-Fated Plane: A Doctor Couple And Their 3 Young Children
Buried somewhere in the wreckage left behind by the horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad is a phone belonging to a family from Rajasthan. The phone may never end up being found or could have even burned up in the fireball, but a selfie it was used for will live on as a reminder of the tragedy that befell the 242 people who were aboard the aircraft.
The photo marked a new beginning for the family - Komi Vyas, a doctor who worked in a hospital in Udaipur, had quit her job and was moving to join her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi, in London with their three children - and the joy on their faces was palpable.
The selfie, taken by Dr Joshi on the ill-fated aircraft, shows him and his wife seated on one side, smiling, and their young twin boys and elder daughter sitting across the aisle. The boys try their hardest to smile for the camera, while their elder sister beams.
People close to the family said both Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi used to work at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. Dr Joshi had moved to London some time ago and had returned to Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to take the family with him. The couple's twin boys - Nakul and Pradyut - were five years old and their daughter, Miraya, was eight.
"Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London," said a spokesperson from Pacific Hospital.
Neighbours said Dr Prateek's father is a renowned radiologist in the city, while Komi's father was an officer in the Public Works Department. "They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London. 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," said Dr Joshi's cousin, Nayan.
Dr Komi Vyas' brother, Prabuddha, said she had married Dr Prateek Joshi ten years ago. Dr Joshi also has a sister, who is an engineer.
Losing Lift
Air India 171, the flight to London that the couple and their children were on, took off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday and was in the air for just 32 seconds before it started descending and exploded in a fireball at 1.38 pm. There were 242 people - 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots - aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Updates
Videos show that the aircraft was struggling to gain lift and, experts said, it appears that the engine was not being able to generate enough thrust.
"The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason." Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV.
As of Thursday evening, only one survivor from the plane had emerged - 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian who was returning to the UK after a visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is "stunned" by the tragedy and is in touch with ministers and authorities.
"The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," PM Modi posted on X.
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