Families Hold Funerals as India Mourns Victims of Deadly Air India Crash
Heartbroken families across India began holding funerals on Sunday for victims of the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash, which claimed at least 279 lives in one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history.
Health officials in Ahmedabad have started handing over the first identified bodies to relatives, with white coffins delivered to mourning families after DNA confirmation. “My heart is very heavy,” said NGO worker Tushar Leuva, who has been assisting with the recovery efforts. “How do we give the bodies to the families?”
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after takeoff on June 12, crashing into a residential area in Ahmedabad. All but one of the 242 passengers and crew were killed, along with at least 38 people on the ground. Witnesses described seeing a fireball erupt as the plane smashed into housing quarters used by medical staff, leaving behind a scene of devastation and charred debris.
Victims’ families have been asked not to open the coffins due to the condition of the remains. DNA matching has confirmed the identities of 31 victims so far, with samples being collected from relatives for further identification. “This is a meticulous and slow process,” said Dr. Rajnish Patel of Ahmedabad’s civil hospital. “It must be done with care.”
Only one person, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash. His brother, also on board, did not make it. Among the victims was Arjun Patoliya, a father of two young girls who had flown to India to scatter his late wife’s ashes.
“I hope those girls will be looked after by all of us,” said Anjana Patel, mayor of Harrow in London, where several victims resided. “We have no words to describe this grief.”
Air India confirmed the flight carried 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. Authorities have launched a full investigation and ordered inspections of all Dreamliner aircraft in the airline’s fleet. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said decoding the flight’s recovered black box will be critical to understanding the crash.
In the midst of the tragedy, stories of near misses also emerged. Bhoomi Chauhan, 28, recounted how she survived simply because she arrived late and missed the flight. “At that moment, I kept thinking — if only we had left a little earlier,” she said.
As candles were lit in orphanages and prayers held across cities, India continues to grieve the immense loss, hoping for answers and justice.
