Amidst the debris of the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed the lives of almost everyone on board barring one passenger, a poignant image has emerged, offering a heart-wrenching glimpse into the final moments of a young family.
The photograph, a selfie taken aboard the ill-fated flight, shows a smiling Dr. Prateek Joshi alongside his wife, Dr. Komi Vyas, and their three children – eight-year-old Miraya and five-year-old twin boys, Nakul and Pradyut.
The children are seated across the aisle, their expressions a mix of excitement and joy, capturing what was meant to be a fresh start for the family.
Dr. Vyas, a physician formerly employed at Pacific Hospital in Udaipur, had recently resigned from her position to join her husband in London. Her family is from Banswara, Rajasthan.
Dr. Joshi, a radiologist, had been living and working in the UK for the last four years and had returned to India just days earlier to accompany his family on the move abroad. His father was also a radiologist who ran a renowned sonography centre in the city, while his sister is an engineer.
The family’s hopeful journey ended in unimaginable tragedy when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff.
According to NDTV, friends and colleagues from Pacific Hospital remembered the couple as dedicated professionals and loving parents.
The selfie, taken moments before disaster struck, now stands as a symbol of the family’s dreams and of the broader human toll of the catastrophe.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London and carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a residential neighborhood and medical college building 33 seconds after taking off.
There were deaths on the ground as well, with local media putting the toll as high as 24 at the time of writing. The number is yet to be finalised. “We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,” Ahmedabad senior police officer, Vidhi Chaudhary, told Reuters.
One passenger, Viswash Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived. He is a 40-year-old British national who was visiting family in India.
A government investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow, saying, “The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words.”
