Disaster Strikes for Deadly Air India Flight
On June 12, 2025, an Air India Flight 171 set off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to London Gatwick Airport at 1:38 P.M. (IST) and soon crashed into the BJ Medical College, leaving only one survivor from the plane, killing every other passenger as well as five medical students.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old London resident, was the only survivor of 242 people, while his brother was still on the plane. Luckily, he suffered with no harsh or deadly injuries. He recalled this painful and heartbreaking moment while still in the Civil Hospital in India. Ramesh says that he walked out through the emergency door, which was in front of him. “I can’t explain…It’s a miracle, everything,” he explains to DD News. The emergency door was broken, and so was his seat, 11A, right next to the exit. Right after the crash, he walked out and was questioned by nearby locals if he was really on that plane. Their voices all spoke one question: How did he survive a crash that lethal?
On the scene, dead bodies were scattered, , and families in both London and India were shedding tears for their loved ones. A 22-year-old Manipuri flight attendant on the flight, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, sent one last text to her cousin before the flight, which served as her last words and farewell to her family. Before her death, she texted, “I’m going to London. We’ll take off soon. We may not talk for a while.”
Another passenger, Panna Nagar, was a former nursery schoolteacher at Northfleet Nursery School. She was often described as “the heart of the family,” bringing passion and joy to those around her. She touched many lives through her work with numerous charities, and she put her heart and care into every task she undertook. Before their death, other passengers also had plans after the flight. The pilot was only months away from retirement, which would allow him to visit his 90-year-old father. One of the flight attendants, also a travel influencer, had friends claim that her uniform was a matter of her pride and that she was a young and intelligent woman.
Everyone had a story to share, whether it was because they were retiring, going back to family, or taking a vacation. Yet, they all ended up with the same fate. In tragedies like this, we must hold on to their stories and ensure they are never forgotten.