On June 15, 2023, a devastating incident unfolded in Ahmedabad, India, when an Air India jet crashed into a college hostel, leaving a profound impact on the local community. Just 30 minutes before this tragic event, Ravi Thakor, the cook at the hostel canteen, and his wife stepped out to deliver lunchboxes. In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, they left behind their two-year-old daughter and Thakor’s mother, both of whom are now missing.
In the aftermath of the crash, Thakor clings to hope, longing for what he describes as a "second miracle" akin to the remarkable survival of the sole passenger among the 242 people on board the ill-fated plane. Thakor recounted that upon hearing the loud bang from the crash, he initially mistook it for a gas cylinder blast. However, his horror escalated as he observed flames engulfing the building he had just exited.
For days, Ravi Thakor has been tirelessly searching for his mother and daughter in hospitals and morgues, but his efforts have yielded no results. Authorities have classified the situation as a missing persons case, intensifying the family's anguish. “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,” a visibly distraught Thakor shared with Reuters outside one of the hospitals.
Overall, the tragic crash claimed the lives of at least 271 individuals, including all 241 passengers and crew members aboard the airplane and numerous victims on the ground, primarily within the hostel building. Thakor and his wife, Lalita, have provided DNA samples to hospital authorities, yet they have not received any updates regarding potential matches among the deceased.
Families of the victims have been left in limbo, waiting for the return of their loved ones' remains. The process of DNA profiling and other identification checks has proven to be time-consuming. Rajnish Patel, the additional superintendent of the hospital, revealed that by Sunday, DNA samples from only 32 deceased individuals had been matched.
The crash disrupted a typical day at the hostel, where many students were enjoying their lunch at the time of the incident. When reporters visited the site after the crash, they found steel tumblers and plates still filled with food scattered across the few tables that remained intact. Thakor recounted that his mother was still in the kitchen, preparing meals, while he had just rocked his daughter to sleep on a wooden swing before stepping out.
In the chaos that ensued following the crash, Thakor expressed concern that someone might have taken his daughter away from the scene. Among the 242 individuals on the plane, the only survivor was Viswashkumar Ramesh, 40, who managed to escape through a broken hatch and emerged with only minor injuries.
This heartbreaking incident serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the profound impact of tragedies on families and communities. As the search for missing loved ones continues, the Thakor family remains hopeful, though the odds are daunting.
