Families are desperately seeking the remains of their loved ones.
They have congregated in the intense summer heat outside the morgue in Ahmedabad, India, straining to catch a glimpse of the next stretcher carrying a body bag toward a waiting ambulance.
The task of identifying bodies after Thursday’s Air India flight disaster is grueling, especially for those that have been burned beyond recognition. Tragically, all but one of the 242 passengers aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner perished.
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Relatives are providing DNA samples, but frustration is mounting.
Lila Behan’s wait is agonizing. She cries out, yearning to see her grandson Akash one last time.
She tells Sky News that he was outside when the plane went down into their quarters.
Fire engulfed the area; her daughter-in-law Sita rushed towards the flames and suffered severe burns. She is currently battling for her life in the ICU.
“I can’t even look at my child’s face now; they said he is too badly burned. I just want to see him once more,” she laments.
Anand Thanki lost three family members, including an infant. All were British citizens from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Anand Thanki
His sister-in-law Raxa traveled to India with her daughter-in-law Yasha and infant grandson Rudra for a religious observance.
Recently grieving her husband’s death from cancer, this ritual was essential for Raxa.
Raxa Modha with her husband, who passed away from cancer.
Anand told Sky News: “It’s a significant loss, but what can we do? We can only curse our fate, as it seems to be written for us.”
“The worst part was my nephew who dropped them off at the airport, returned home, and immediately heard about the crash.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the crash site to assess the situation.
Familiar with the city in Gujarat, this hit home for him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveys the crash site.
Having been a legislator for more than a decade, he previously served as chief minister of Gujarat.
At the crash site, he examined debris and the nearby apartments that were in the plane’s flight path.
Read more:
What we know so far
Who are the victims?
Sole survivor recounts deadly crash
The aircraft lost altitude and less than a minute after takeoff, it descended rapidly, erupting in flames.
At the hospital, Modi met British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh – the sole survivor of the crash. He recounted his miraculous escape.
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The enormity of the tragedy is intensified by its setting. The plane crashed right in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood, with the front of the aircraft colliding into residential quarters for medical students.
The wheels and tail of the plane are now embedded in the top level of one of the buildings, where many had gathered for lunch.
Canteen tables are strewn with abandoned meals among crash debris.
Plates are still left untouched—evidence that students were dining when the aircraft tore through.
At least 23 victims on the ground included students, medical professionals, and family members. Some are reported to be in critical condition.
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The cause of the crash remains undetermined. Investigators will initiate the long and intricate process of determining what went wrong.
Meanwhile, countless families will grapple with a profound loss following one of the most devastating disasters in India’s aviation history.