Ground Report | Wounds Have Healed, Trauma Remains: Meeting Families And Survivors Of Air India Flight 171 Crash
Over a year after the Air India 171 crash, pain, trauma and questions continue to haunt the families of those whose lost their loved ones.
By Bilal Bhat
Published : July 1, 2026 at 3:50 PM IST
|Updated : July 1, 2026 at 9:47 PM IST
On a sweltering Friday morning in Ahmedabad, Krishnaben calls out to her son as a pack of dogs encircles her, eagerly waiting for their first meal of the day.
Her son, Nirav Mohanbhai, rushes in, feeding and affectionately playing with the dogs, who respond with equal joy. Their bond has grown even stronger since Air India Flight 171 crashed into the hostel buildings of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar area on the outskirts of Ahmedabad last year.
These dogs had long been cared for by local animal lovers living in the area that now remains deserted with tall, empty buildings standing in rows, as witnesses of the horrific tragedy that took place on June 12, 2025.
Krishnaben, in her late 50s, suffered burn injuries as the plane, headed to London, crashed seconds after take off, killing 241 passengers and crew on board and 19 others on the ground.
Since the aircraft carried over 50,000 litres of jet fuel, the entire hostel area was engulfed in flames and black smoke as death and destruction marked one of the biggest aviation disasters in the world.
Fortunately, Krishnaben's injuries were not too grave and it took her around two months to recover physically.
While the wounds healed, the trauma remains.
She lives in a tent near the crash site, and every aircraft taking off overhead brings back vivid memories of that tragic day.
"Every time I see an aircraft taking off overhead, I get scared. It used to be a joy before the disaster, but now it is like a nightmare every time we see an aircraft flying above us," Krishnaben said while recalling the air crash and its fallout on people in the area.
She and her son are among the few people left in the area who feed the strays. The plane crash tragedy extended beyond human lives. Many birds and animals that ventured from the forest area behind the buildings also became casualties of the fire sparked by the air crash.
Just a few hundred metres away stands a multi-storey building where the family of Aakash Patni lives. Sitaben Patni, is still recovering from the trauma, grief, and physical injuries she sustained while trying to save her 12-year-old son.
A part of the crashing aircraft struck Aakash, engulfing him in flames and killing him. Sitaben's deeply scarred arms remind her of the horror she witnessed as she tried to save her son from the flames.
She hasn't yet come to terms with her loss as she continues to wail and cry. Her only wish is to see her son one more time. "I saw my son engulfed in flames. That is something I am not able to forget. I miss my son in every breath I take and it's difficult for me to take my mind away from his memory," she said, while tears rolled down her cheeks.
More than a year after his death, Aakash lives on in the memories of his family. Inside their single-room apartment, his life-size cut-out picture occupies a place of honour beside a small pooja room-like corner where prayers are offered for him every day. The family shares the rest of the tiny space.
Devastated by the loss of his son, Sureshbhai Patni is seeking employment for his elder daughter, Neelam, to help ease the family’s sudden financial burden.
So far, the family has received Rs 6 lakh in compensation, of which more than Rs 2 lakh has been spent on Sitaben's treatment. She still requires plastic surgery, an expense the family cannot afford.
"Tata people came, did the documentation and paid us some money which was insufficient. No one from the government came to see us. Only the Tata officials came and paid us six lakh rupees," Sureshbhai said. His voice was filled with anguish.
Neelam recalls the last moments she spent with Aakash. He had come to collect lunch she had prepared for their mother. He was eating an ice cream, and she had asked him for a bite, but he playfully refused. The memory now brings both a smile and immense pain. She was especially close to Aakash, as the two of them lived together while their other siblings had families of their own.
Akash was hit by a part in flames and his mother Sitaben at her tea stall near the compound. Sitaben suffered severe burn injuries after she saw her son in flames. She learned about her son's death 23 days later.
Among those who witnessed the tragedy firsthand was Vijay Bhai Patni. He was having tea and snacks opposite of the compound when the aircraft crashed. From where he stood, he saw Aakash and his injured mother and instinctively began recording the scene on his mobile phone.
It was Vijay's camera that captured the lone survivor from the ill-fated plane emerging from the flames before being rushed to the hospital. Buildings in a row had been reduced to charred walls within seconds.
For Vijay, the compound was a workplace where he would wash cars, as many doctors and medical staff lived in the residential quarters of the medical college. As towering flames engulfed the buildings moments after the crash, he said he could think of nothing except taking out his phone and recording what was happening.
It was a harrowing race against time and tragedy. First responders pushed through towering walls of fire, torn between saving the living and recovering the dead.
For the families, a grueling secondary nightmare began: weeks of waiting as forensic teams painstakingly gathered the remains from the wreckage to identify the victims. DNA sampling was a major task. Collecting samples took many days, while the return of bodies to some families took weeks.
A year later, the families are still waiting for the truth behind the crash, searching for answers, and demanding accountability for the fault that tore their lives apart.
(With inputs from Kalpin Trivedi and Mukesh Dodiya)
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