The aftermath of a catastrophic crash leaves heartbreak, questions, and a nation in mourning

In a crowded, echoing hall in Ahmedabad, a line forms quietly too quietly. There’s no usual airport buzz here, only the silent weight of grief. Families have gathered not to welcome home loved ones, but to hand over DNA samples, clinging to the faintest hope that someone, anyone, might have survived the unthinkable.

On Thursday, a London-bound Air India 787-8 Dreamliner slammed into a residential neighbourhood shortly after takeoff, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground. In a miracle almost too fragile to believe, one British passenger survived. The rest are now the focus of a grim and painstaking identification process.

A Final Call Before Silence

Among those waiting in anguish is Ashfaque Nanabawa, who received a last message from his cousin Akeel, minutes before takeoff. Akeel, his wife, and their three-year-old daughter were on the flight.

“He said, ‘I am in the plane and I have boarded safely and everything was okay.’ That was the last call,” Ashfaque recounted, his voice raw.

It was meant to be a simple check-in. It has now become a memory that will haunt his family forever.

A Nation in Shock

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words,” while Home Minister Amit Shah promised fast-tracked DNA testing to bring closure to devastated families.

But no promise can ease the pain of parents, spouses, or children who have to confirm their loved ones through forensic evidence. Doctors collecting samples from grieving families spoke of their emotional exhaustion.

“We’ve taken samples from babies to the elderly. What do you say to someone who lost their wife, child, and mother in a single moment?” one doctor whispered.

Above them, planes continued to land and take off—cruel reminders of what should have been a routine flight.

Ordinary Lives, Shattered

The flight carried 169 Indian citizens, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian, along with 12 crew members. Among them were families visiting relatives, students returning to school, workers heading back to jobs abroad.

Premal Mehta, a local businessman, refused to accept his friend Mahesh Jeerawala was gone. Clutching his phone, he searched for any trace of life, using “political contacts, whatever it takes.”

Others came only to say goodbye. Ismail Sheikh had celebrated with his childhood friend just days before. The friend, who had built a life in London, was flying back with his wife and children. Now, Sheikh waits with swollen eyes, haunted by memories of when he once dropped that same friend off at the airport 15 years ago.

“Now I’m here again,” he murmured. “But this time, it’s to bring him home in pieces. This is unimaginable.”

The Bigger Picture: Aviation Safety and Painful Questions

This is one of the deadliest air disasters India has seen in recent years. Though investigations are still underway, early reports suggest a mechanical failure may have played a role. Aviation authorities have grounded a portion of similar aircraft pending checks, but for many, the damage is already done.

Critics on social media are already asking tough questions about Air India’s maintenance standards and emergency preparedness. While the airline has issued condolences and pledged cooperation with authorities, the public wants more than sympathy, it wants answers.

The Silent Work of Closure

Inside the identification hall, families hand over items—a hairbrush, a toothbrush, a photo—to assist with DNA matching. Others simply hold each other, eyes locked on doors where officials occasionally emerge with updates.

One woman, too broken to share her name, confided that her son-in-law was confirmed dead. But her daughter doesn’t know yet.

“I can’t tell her. Please… someone else must,” she whispered, tears cutting silent trails down her face.

It’s a heartbreak that ripples beyond borders, as the Indian diaspora in the UK, Portugal and Canada also begin their mourning rituals.

More Than a Crash, a National Wound

The Air India crash isn’t just a tragedy it’s a rupture in the everyday expectations we place on life and safety. Behind every passenger list is a web of lives now altered forever. There are birthday presents undelivered, weddings missed, children waiting for parents who will never come.

There is no comforting ending to this story only the slow, brutal process of identifying the dead and carrying their memories forward.

In Ahmedabad, the sounds of engines overhead no longer inspire wanderlust or ambition. For now, they only deepen the ache.

South Africa Mourns with India After Deadly Air India Crash

{Source: IOL}

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