AHMEDABAD: When tragedy strikes, the smallest gaps in systems become painfully visible. As volunteers at the help desk raced to notify families after the AI 171 crash, they hit an unexpected wall.

Most calls were met with an eerie silence. The reason: in most of the cases, the only number provided was the passenger's own.With phones lost in the wreckage and no alternative contacts available, authorities scrambled to locate the next of kin. This delayed delivery of the news complicated the coordination of support. "This was a huge challenge," a senior official involved in the communication efforts said. "In nearly 70% of the cases, we found the only number listed was that of the passenger.

When we tried to contact kin, the calls went unanswered." Since the tragedy made headlines, many relatives came forward on their own looking, the official added. In the absence of emergency numbers, authorities had to rely on local administration officials. "We contacted collectors and got them to visit the listed addresses to inform relatives."