On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, destined for London’s Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, tragically crashed shortly after take-off. The aircraft, carrying 242 people on board, including 12 crew members, plummeted into a medical college hostel during lunch hour, claiming the lives of nearly all on board and at least 38 individuals on the ground. The total death toll reached approximately 279, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history.

Eyewitnesses described a horrific scene as the plane crashed into the residential area, erupting into a fireball. A second-year student, who narrowly escaped the building, recounted hearing “a huge bang and a horrible screeching sound” before being trapped under boulders amid fire and smoke. The devastating impact affected many occupants of the hostel, leaving some injured and others struggling to escape. Authorities recovered 270 bodies, with 241 identified as passengers and crew, and began the agonizing process of DNA identification for grieving families.

Among the victims were numerous individuals with heart-wrenching stories. Yasmin Vora, 51, who had called her husband just before take-off expressing anxiety about the non-functioning AC and a “strange feeling,” perished alongside her nephew Pervez Vora, 30, and his 4-year-old daughter Zuveriya. UK-based Indian sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their early twenties, died on their way back home after a surprise visit to India for their grandmother’s birthday. Another UK-based Indian couple, Pooja and Harshit Patel, also lost their lives after visiting their families. Akash Patni, a 15-year-old boy resting near his family’s tea stall, was tragically killed on the ground. Aparna Mahadik, a senior crew member, was also among the deceased; her sister-in-law lamented their recent conversation about life’s unpredictability.

The sole survivor of the crash was British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, whose escape remains a mystery to many. Footage showed him walking away from the inferno, still clutching his phone, sparking mixed reactions and skepticism among netizens. While some believe he was genuinely on the plane and exited near an emergency door as the plane split, others questioned the minimal injuries and undamaged belongings visible in the footage. Ramesh himself stated that everything happened within moments and he did not use an emergency door. Sadly, his younger brother also perished in the incident.

Investigations into the crash are ongoing, with authorities recovering the flight data recorder (black box) and the cockpit voice recorder, which are expected to provide crucial insights into the circumstances. India’s Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, confirmed that decoding the black box would offer