A devastating plane crash in India on Thursday claimed the lives of a doctor couple and their three young children, just moments after they took a final selfie onboard the doomed Air India flight to London.
Dr. Komi Vyas and her husband, Dr. Prateek Joshi, were traveling with their twin five-year-old sons, Nakul and Pradyut, and their eight-year-old daughter, Miraya. The family was relocating to the United Kingdom, where Dr. Joshi had already been working. Dr. Vyas had recently resigned from her medical position in Udaipur to join her husband abroad.
Their journey, meant to mark a fresh chapter in their lives, ended in tragedy when Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat around 1:40 p.m. local time (8:10 a.m. BST) on Wednesday.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying 242 passengers, including 53 British nationals. Officials fear that the death toll may exceed 260, including individuals on the ground.
The aircraft went down in the crowded Meghani neighborhood of Ahmedabad minutes after departure. Shocking CCTV footage showed the plane gaining speed along the runway, lifting off, and then suddenly nosediving before crashing in a fiery explosion. Thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the wreckage as emergency responders arrived at the scene.
One of the final images of the family, taken by Dr. Joshi aboard the plane, has circulated widely online. The photo shows the couple smiling in their seats while their children grin from across the aisle—a poignant reminder of the lives lost.
Dr. Joshi’s cousin, Nayan, shared that the family had traveled to Ahmedabad the previous day to board their flight to London. “Prateek had come just two days earlier to bring his wife and children,” he said. Dr. Vyas’ brother, Prabuddha, mentioned that the couple had been married for ten years.
Aviation analysts suggest a sudden engine failure or power loss may have contributed to the crash, which remains under investigation. Flight 171 was scheduled to land at Gatwick Airport in London.
