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The Independent
17 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Air India plane crash latest: Pilot's last words revealed as families wait anxiously for bodies of victims
Indian aviation officials have confirmed that the final words of the pilot of the doomed Air India Flight 171, moments before the plane crashed into buildings near Ahmedabad 's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, were Mayday distress calls. 'Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' the pilot said before the catastrophic crash that killed at least 270 people on Thursday. The Boeing Dreamliner, with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport, began losing height seconds after take-off and erupted in a fireball as it hit buildings, in what has been the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. India has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The company said it will provide an interim payment of Rs2.5m (£21,000) each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor, to help address immediate financial needs, in addition to Rs10m (£85,000) in support announced previously by the Tata Group. Ahmedabad hospital to collect the bodies of victims. He flew home to bury his father. The Air India crash took his life nside a modest two-bedroom apartment in India's Ahmedabad, Ravina Daniyal Christian clutches the edge of her tear-soaked scarf. The home is crowded with relatives but the only voice that carries through the room is hers – spilling with loss. Just fifteen days ago, she buried her husband. On 12 June, her 30-year-old son Lawrence Daniyal Christian, who had come home from London to perform the last rites of his father, was killed in the catastrophic Air India crash that has claimed at least 270 lives. That final act of love has become a mother's worst nightmare. Namita Singh reports from Ahmedabad. He flew home to bury his father. The Air India crash took his life As families wait for DNA tests to confirm the identities of their loved ones who perished in the Air India crash, harrowing stories emerge from the decade's worst aviation disaster, Namita Singh reports from Ahmedabad Stuti Mishra15 June 2025 08:15 On the ground at Ahmedabad hospital as Air India crash death toll updated Stuti Mishra Pilot's last words were 'Mayday' Indian aviation officials have confirmed that the final words of the pilot of the doomed Air India Flight 171, moments before the plane crashed into buildings near Ahmedabad 's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, were Mayday distress calls. 'Thrust not achieved... falling... Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' the pilot said before the catastrophic crash that killed at least 270 people on Thursday. The call was received at air traffic control (ATC) seconds before all communications stopped. Stuti Mishra15 June 2025 07:13 Newlywed heading to London among Air India crash victims as family awaits her body Khushboo Rajpurohit, 21, was among the victims of the Air India Express crash. On Sunday, her family gathered outside the mortuary complex at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to collect her mortal remains. 'We have been told that the body will be handed over shortly. She last spoke to her father before he dropped her off,' a relative told The Independent. Her uncle, Kishore Rajpurohit, 56, said Khushboo had only recently married and was preparing to start a new life in London. 'She got married on 17 January this year and was awaiting visa clearance to be able to travel to London and live with her husband,' he said. Her father had gone to the airport to see her off. 'He waited till she boarded and had not even crossed Mehsana when we learnt of the crash,' Mr Rajpurohit added. The family was informed on Sunday morning by a government-appointed nodal officer that a DNA match had confirmed Khushboo's identity. 15 June 2025 06:45 Ambulance drivers on standby as Gujarat officials begin transporting crash victims' bodies Ambulance drivers from across Gujarat have been stationed outside Ahmedabad Civil Hospital as authorities begin handing over the bodies of victims from the Air India crash. Mahindra Singh, a 45-year-old ambulance driver from Kheda, said he had been waiting since morning. 'I have come from Kheda. I've been told to carry two bodies. I've come just with the staff. I've been here since Saturday morning, around 10 or 11am,' he told The Independent. Mr Singh explained that the coordination process is strictly managed by government officials. 'First I will receive a call that the body is ready for transportation. We are not supposed to contact the families. A nodal officer from here will inform the families at home that the mortal remains have been dispatched,' he said. Bharat Godia, who arrived from Kutch, said they had brought multiple ambulances on orders from the district administration. 'We've been told by the Kutch administration that we are to bring back the bodies of those killed in the plane crash. We have at least five ambulances from Kutch. Government officials will be accompanying the bodies,' he said. Earlier, a relative of one of the victims told The Independent that each bereaved family has been assigned a nodal officer, who will contact them once a DNA match has been confirmed. Namita Singh15 June 2025 06:20 Families begin receiving bodies of Air India crash victims under tight police security There is a heavy police presence around the mortuary complex at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, as the painful process of body handover begins. According to officials on duty, at least 19 bodies have been handed over to the kin of the plane crash victims so far. However, there has been no official confirmation. Namita Singh15 June 2025 05:44 Watch | King holds minute's silence for Air India crash victims Jabed Ahmed15 June 2025 04:00 'My grandson was burnt alive': Grief engulfs neighbourhood where Air India crash killed dozens on the ground Miracle sole survivor of Air India flight 171 reveals how he escaped the wreckage British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh spoke from his hospital bed following the fireball crash in Ahmedabad Jabed Ahmed15 June 2025 03:00 Watch | Air India crash sole survivor recalls how he escaped plane 15 June 2025 02:00 UK student missed doomed Air India flight by minutes: 'It's a miracle' UK student missed doomed Air India flight by minutes: 'It's a miracle' The 28-year-old, who lives in Bristol, said she felt 'totally numb' after finding out the flight had crashed, killing 241 people Jabed Ahmed15 June 2025 01:00
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
He flew home to bury his father. The Air India crash took his life
Inside a modest two-bedroom apartment in India's Ahmedabad, Ravina Daniyal Christian clutches the edge of her tear-soaked scarf. The home is crowded with relatives but the only voice that carries through the room is hers – spilling with loss. Just fifteen days ago, she buried her husband. On 12 June, her 30-year-old son Lawrence Daniyal Christian, who had come home from London to perform the last rites of his father, was killed in the catastrophic Air India crash that has claimed at least 270 lives. 'He came only for a few days,' she says. 'He was returning on 12 June. Just a short visit – only to honour his father.' That final act of love has become a mother's worst nightmare. 'My husband is gone. And now, so is my son,' Ravina says, wailing. ' I have no one left to support me.' Lawrence had been working in London and slowly building a future that included his mother. 'He always said, 'Mummy, once I've paid off the loans on our apartment, I'll bring you to London,'' she says. 'That year will never come.' Her last memory of him is a short video call from his seat on the doomed flight. 'He said, 'I'll reach London around 10 or 11pm India time. Then I'll call you. I'm switching off the phone now.'' Ravina had dropped him at the airport that morning and returned to an empty home. 'I didn't feel like eating. I just had a paratha (fried Indian flatbread).' Then the phone rang. 'It was his friend. He told me to check the news – a plane had crashed. ' Panic-stricken, she rushed to Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, searching every ward until late into the night. 'But I couldn't find him… My daughter gave her blood for the DNA test. But no one has told us anything since.' Just across town, 66-year-old Sarlaben David Christian is also coming to terms with a double tragedy. Her son Rozar and daughter-in-law Rachnaben – both London residents who had returned to India for medical treatment – were among the passengers killed when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into a student hostel soon after take-off. 'They had flown in for just a few days,' she says, her voice strained. Her husband had driven them to the airport that morning. After checking in, Rozar called. ''Everything's done. You don't need to wait outside,' he said. 'You can go home.'' The final conversation ended with four words: 'I am comfortably seated.' Hours later, the family would learn about the crash that killed all but one of the 242 passengers onboard. Sarlaben's nephew William was the first to realise something was wrong. 'He saw a news alert, turned to his wife, and asked if Rozar and Rachna had left today. When she confirmed, he called my husband and said, 'There's been a crash. It might be their flight.'' Family members split into two teams – one went to the airport, another to the hospital. 'We searched every ward, every stretcher, hoping they were among the injured,' she recalls. 'But they weren't.' DNA samples were requested later that night. The bodies of several victims of the plane crash are expected to be released to their families by Sunday evening, following the completion of the DNA sampling process, The Independent has learnt. According to hospital officials, victims who could not be identified visually had their DNA samples submitted on Thursday. Their remains are likely to be handed over once the 72-hour verification window concludes. In the meantime, the bodies of victims identified through visible body marks are expected to be released either by Saturday evening or early Sunday morning. However, not all victims have undergone DNA sampling. For those cases, officials say the identification process may take longer, as DNA analysis typically requires a minimum of 72 hours. 'We found out… no one was alive,' says Sarlaben, hands trembling. 'Their bodies were in no condition to be seen. How do I describe the pain of losing a son I raised in my arms?' Rozar had long planned to settle in the UK. 'He wanted to buy a house there and bring us over one day,' she says. 'All those dreams have gone with him.' Among the dead was also an entire family of five – Dr Komi Vyas, her husband Dr Prateek Joshi, and their three young children. Dr Vyas, a medical professional from Udaipur, had recently resigned from her position at a local hospital to begin a new life in London with her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi. That fresh start was tragically cut short when the Air India flight they were on crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad. A selfie taken on board the ill-fated Boeing 787 by Dr Joshi captures what would be their final family moment. In it, he and Dr Vyas are seen smiling in their seats, while their children – five-year-old twin boys, Nakul and Pradyut, and eight-year-old daughter, Miraya – sit across the aisle. The couple, both doctors, were well known in Udaipur's medical circles. They previously worked at Pacific Hospital before Dr Joshi moved to the UK several years ago. He had returned to their hometown of Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to accompany his wife and children back to London, where the family was planning to settle permanently. A close friend and college friend of Dr Vyas, who requests anonymity, shares the devastating news with The Independent. 'Komi was part of our 2004 MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) batch – always smiling, full of charm. Even after college, we stayed in touch. She used to visit my clinic in Ahmedabad when she worked as an assistant professor in Rajasthan. The last time I spoke to her was in December – she had reached out about a consultation for her sister.' He recalls how he found out about the tragedy. 'I was in the operation theatre when the crash happened. Around 2pm, I got a call from my wife, who was also Komi's classmate. She heard from a contact at Civil Hospital that Komi might have been on board the crashed flight. I rushed out of the OT and tried calling Komi, but there was no answer. Soon after, someone on our college WhatsApp group confirmed the devastating news – it was her, her three children, and her husband.' The family had travelled to India for a vacation and were returning to London to begin a new chapter. 'Komi and Prateek had planned to finally settle there now that their twins were turning five in August and their daughter was already of school-going age,' the friend explained. 'With the children a bit older, it would've been easier for Komi to manage in a new country. This was supposed to be their big move.' He also confirms that Dr Vyas's father had arrived in Ahmedabad and had submitted DNA samples for identification on Thursday. 'He's been at Civil Hospital since the day before yesterday, trying to complete the formalities. We've been told the children's bodies were found early this morning, and the process is underway.' As of Saturday evening, the remains of Dr Vyas and her family had not yet been released, pending DNA verification and identification. Some victims' bodies are expected to be released as DNA identification process nears completion. Suresh Patni, 47, stands alone outside the hospital mortuary, waiting for the handover of his 12-year-old son's remains. Akash Patni was charred beyond recognition when a passenger aircraft crashed into the college campus where his family ran a small tea stall. The boy had accompanied his mother, Sitabehen Patni, to their stall as he often did. Tired, he lay down to rest beneath a tree nearby. Moments later, the plane came crashing down, engulfing the area in flames. Akash, fast asleep, had no chance to escape. 'He was burnt alive while sleeping,' Patni says. 'I have not even seen his body yet. It is not in a condition to be seen. It is so burnt that it cannot be identified.' Patni says he has submitted identification documents to the hospital, including a PAN card in lieu of Aadhaar, to claim his son's body. 'The officials have told me they will hand it over by tonight or tomorrow morning.' His wife, Sitabehen, remains in the intensive care unit with serious burn injuries. 'She doesn't know he's gone,' he says. 'She's had more than 40 stitches to her face. The bleeding had to be stopped. I can't even begin to tell her what's happened.' Hospital authorities tells The Independent that most of the bodies recovered from the crash site have been shifted from the post-mortem room to cold storage, awaiting DNA confirmation and family handover. 'I am all by myself here. I don't know how I can bear to see him like that. How do I ask them to show me my son's body?' Patni says
