Air India AI-171 tragedy: The grief continues

One year after the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash, families of victims aboard Air India flight AI-171 continue to struggle with the loss of their loved ones. The London-bound flight crashed into a hostel complex in Meghaninagar shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived. 

For Akash, who was waiting in London for his wife, memories of their final phone call remain vivid. Days of searching at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital ended in heartbreak when her body was identified a week later.

Another family in Gujarat is still reflecting about a choice that didn't seem inappropriate at the time. Harshit and Pooja Patel were not originally meant to be on that flight. They had cancelled an earlier booking and rescheduled their journey.

After losing their only son, tea stall owners Sureshbhai and Sitaben continue to live near the crash site. Their daily life goes on, but the anguish of loss never goes away.