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Ahmedabad, June 15, 2025 – A canteen worker at a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad continues a desperate search for his missing daughter and mother—clinging to a slim hope that they might have survived the worst aviation disaster to strike India in decades.
A Canteen Worker’s Desperate Search for His Family
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner flying from Ahmedabad to London–Gatwick, plunged into a medical college hostel in the Civil Hospital campus shortly after takeoff, triggering a devastating explosion and fire. The aircraft, carrying 242 individuals, struck the hostel’s canteen. In the worst combination of in-air and ground fatalities, 271 people lost their lives—241 passengers and crew on board, and approximately 30 people on the ground, including medical students and staff
Despite the horrific toll, one man emerged alive: Viswashkumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British-Indian seating in 11A near an emergency exit, who managed to escape with minor injuries. His survival has been widely described as a “miracle”
Among those displaced by the disaster is Ravi Thakor, a 38-year-old canteen worker at the hostel.
While delivering lunchboxes outside, Thakor, his wife Lalita, their two-year-old daughter, and his elderly mother were inside before the crash. They are now missing among the recovered casualties. Amid the carnage, Thakor holds onto hope, drawing solace from Ramesh’s survival.
If one of the plane passengers could survive the crash… there could be a second miracle and my mother and daughter could also be safe,” Thakor said to Reuters
Lalita added: “We realise that the chances of finding them alive are bleak but we have not given up hope.
Thakor spends his days scouring hospitals and the local morgue in a heart-wrenching search. Authorities have issued DNA verification appeals to families to help match among the charred remains.
Slow DNA Identification
Efforts to identify victims are proceeding slowly. Of the 271 bodies recovered so far, only 32 have been positively identified via DNA testing.
The process is delayed by infrastructural challenges and the condition of the remains.
Authorities are urging relatives to submit DNA samples and dental records to speed up the identification process, but families remain in agonising suspense.
Rescue workers at the site describe harrowing scenes. Burnt personal items, lunch plates, steel tumblers, and shattered belongings lie strewn across tables inside the destroyed canteen—a stark indicator of how abruptly tragedy struck.
Officials are reviewing flight data, black box recordings, and physical evidence. Early investigation suggests issues related to engine thrust, flap deployment, or landing gear malfunction as possible causes
Aviation Oversight & Global Response
In response to the disaster:
- Indian aviation authorities have mandated immediate inspections of all Boeing 787 Dreamliners operated by domestic carriers, including Air India and IndiGo
- A multi-national investigative team—comprising experts from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)—has been deployed to Ahmedabad to assist
- India’s aviation regulator has called for a final investigation panel report within three months, with recommendations for improving flight-safety protocols worldwide
The crash prompted an immediate mass deployment of emergency teams: Firefighters, CISF, CRPF, National Disaster Response Force, state police, local ambulances, and military engineers. The Ahmedabad airport suspended operations temporarily before resuming under limited capacity to support relief efforts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site, offering condolences and meeting survivors, including Ramesh. Meanwhile, the Tata Group—parent company of Air India—pledged compensation and medical coverage for victims’ families in line with the Montreal Convention and added financial packages for ground casualties.
Viswashkumar Ramesh’s survival story has riveted global audiences, likened to ultra-rare survivals like that of Zheng Min Li in the Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 crash of 2020 .
From his hospital bed, Ramesh described how he escaped via a broken emergency exit, ignoring surrounding flames and fallen passengers. The British-Indian national’s escape highlights both human resilience and the critical role of emergency exit placement.
Questions Surrounding Boeing 787 Safety
This catastrophe adds another layer to longstanding scrutiny over the Boeing 787. In response, regulators have:
- Issued fleet-wide inspections of Boeing 787s to investigate any systemic thrust or engine-related issues
- engaged Boeing, GE Aerospace, and U.S. experts to participate in technical assessments.
- Considered ultimate grounding if fault patterns emerge—though the investigation continues.
This situation comes at a sensitive moment for Boeing, still rebuilding its reputation after past grounding events involving its 737 MAX fleet.
Ongoing Investigation & What’s Next
Authorities are now:
- Analyzing flight data recorders, including voice and data black boxes.
- Reviewing engine telemetry logs, flap and landing-gear status just before the crash.
- Conducting laboratory examinations for any fuel or mechanical anomalies.
The final report—drafted jointly by Indian, U.S., U.K., and manufacturer investigators—will aim to determine the definitive cause and issue safety recommendations. Interim updates will be released in the coming weeks; early indications point toward possible dual-engine issues, but investigators caution that multiple factors may have converged.
A Nation in Mourning
The unprecedented cost of this crash—both human and psychological—is felt deeply across India and the United Kingdom, given the large number of British nationals aboard. Hundreds are now in limbo, awaiting confirmation of remains or the possibility—however remote—of survivors.
Search for Thakor’s Family
As the search for truth intensifies, some tragedies remain profoundly personal. Ravi and Lalita Thakor continue daily visits to hospitals and morgues, refusing to abandon hope for their daughter and Ravi’s mother. Their story is a poignant reminder that amid grand tragedies lie intimate stories of love, loss, and persistence.
You can support the identification effort or follow developments through Air India’s official family assistance lines or updates on the DGCA website, which is routinely updated with DNA matching bulletins.
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