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The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has plunged numerous families into deep mourning, with Imtiyaz Ali Sayed among those grappling with the tragedy. He awaits confirmation of the fate of his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children, who were passengers on the ill-fated flight. This Air India Ahmedabad plane crash has become one of India’s worst aviation disasters, leaving families in anguish.
A Brother’s Refusal to Accept: The Air India Tragedy
Imtiyaz Ali Sayed is refusing to grieve.
Not when the news initially surfaced – that his younger brother Javed, along with Javed’s wife and two children, had died in the devastating Air India Ahmedabad plane crash on Thursday afternoon.
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Not even now, more than ten hours later, as the clock strikes three in the morning and he walks back and forth in the sterile hallways of the hospital where their remains lie, determined not to sit, determined not to accept the reality.
Authorities have verified that only one of the 242 people aboard the London-bound flight survived. DNA testing is currently underway to identify the victims of the Air India flight crash.
Mr. Sayed, a Mumbai-based entrepreneur, is one of many families awaiting closure after this major aviation disaster.
He states that until he sees his brother’s body – or “whatever is left of it” – with his own eyes, he will continue searching for him.
“You don’t understand. They were my life—if I give up now, I might never be able to recover,” he states.
He then scrolls through his phone, displaying pictures of his niece and nephew, including some that were taken only moments before they boarded the flight.
Mr. Sayed recalls how their elder sister was supposed to travel to London with Javed but was unable to obtain a ticket. He then falls silent. Outside, the night grows darker, the sky dimming slowly.
Minutes later, he retrieves his phone again—this time to show a series of messages he sent Javed after learning about the crash.
“Look,” he says, holding out the screen. “They’re still being delivered. That has to mean something, right?”
The Immediate Aftermath of the Plane Crash
The tragedy unfolded rapidly: a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner ignited shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, crashing into a medical college in a densely populated residential area.
“There was a loud roar, a deafening screech, and then suddenly, fire, iron, and steel began raining from the sky,” said Mukesh, a driver who resides approximately 15 minutes from the crash site.
Casualties and Identification Challenges
A senior health official in Ahmedabad confirmed to the BBC that at least eight people on the ground were killed. Rescue personnel arriving at the scene found wreckage fragments scattered with such force that distinguishing them from human remains was extremely challenging, according to two members of the disaster response team.
Since the crash, a strong, acrid odor has permeated the area as smoke billowed from the wreckage late into the night.
Authorities indicate they are working to identify victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, but the extent of destruction has made the task exceptionally difficult.
A volunteer at Civil Hospital, speaking anonymously, stated that many bodies are so severely burned and disfigured that physical identification may be impossible.
“It’s like trying to tell ashes apart from ashes.”
Families Await News of Loved Ones Lost in Air India Plane Crash
For families, the wait has been unbearable. Many have camped outside the hospital – in cars or on the streets – their anguished cries echoing through the corridors.
Sameer Shaikh’s wife is inconsolable. Their son, Irfan – an Air India crew member – didn’t call often but always messaged before takeoff and after landing.
So when the airline called that afternoon, Mr. Shaikh was perplexed. Irfan was expected to be en route to London.
“But instead, we found out he died in a plane crash.”
Shaikh, who resides in Pune, traveled to Ahmedabad with his family to retrieve his son’s body. An Air India official at the Civil Hospital assisted him with the identification process.
“But the police did not permit us to take my son back,” he says. “They asked us to return in three days, after the DNA sampling of all the victims was completed.”
Devastated, the couple have been seeking support and answers after this tragic plane crash.
“What are we to do?” he asks, pointing to his wife, who is sitting on a street corner, sobbing. “How can we wait three days when we know it’s our son?”
Impact on BJ Medical College Civil Hospital
The Shaikhs are not alone in their distress. Across the city, another tragedy is unfolding – at the very location where the plane crashed.
BJ Medical College Civil Hospital, a respected institution in Ahmedabad, became ground zero when the aircraft crashed into its hostel on Thursday. Casualties have been reported, but the full extent remains unclear following this Air India Ahmedabad plane crash.
Searching for Sarla
Payal Thakur paces anxiously, seeking any updates about her mother, Sarla, who worked as a cook at the hostel. She was in the back of the building – the exact location where the aircraft struck.
Recounting the day’s events, Ms. Thakur says her family, who work at the hospital, had left for work around 13:00 local time.
“The plan was to serve lunch to the doctors and return home. But when my mother saw students arriving at the mess hall, she decided to stay back and make rotis (flatbreads) for them,” she says.
That was the moment the plane collided with the hostel and tore through the building’s first floor. In the chaotic aftermath, confusion and sorrow were overwhelming.
“There was so much black smoke pouring out of the building. People were running, trying to save their lives. We’ve been searching for our mother since morning, but we haven’t found any trace of her,” she adds.
Her father, Prahlad Thakur, says Sarla wasn’t alone – “My brother’s daughter was with her,” he says. Both are missing after the terrible Air India accident.
Desperate Search Efforts
They searched the top floor, where the kitchen was, but found nothing.
“I went there twice, hoping to find something—anything. But there was only water and debris,” he says.
Campus in Shock After Air India Plane Crash
The crash did not just destroy a building—it shattered a normal afternoon on campus. The Air India crash left the college community reeling.
“There was a loud noise. All the doors and windows of the classroom began to tremble. Everyone ran outside to check what had happened,” a student, who preferred to remain unnamed, said.
As the news spread and it became increasingly clear that many students had been injured – possibly even killed – panic swept across the campus. Some began to run, others, too stunned by what they had witnessed, froze on the spot, their sobs mingling with the screams.
“A student just stood there with tears in his eyes, unable to move, while others were so badly hurt they had to be carried to the hospital. Many are now being treated for severe wounds, a few of them are in the ICU,” the other added, highlighting the severity of the plane crash tragedy.
By evening, the badly damaged corridors stood silent. Backpacks and half-eaten meals lay abandoned on tables where students had fled. The air was still thick with smoke, sirens, and the weight of what had just unfolded.