Air India Plane Crash: A Doctor Couple and Their 3 Children Clicked a Selfie Before New Life Chapter—Then Tragedy Struck

In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Air India Flight AI-171 crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, claiming 241 lives. Among them were Dr. Pratik Joshi, his wife Dr. Komi Vyas, and their three children—captured in a blissful family selfie just moments before departure

The Selfie That Became Their Final Memory

• Dr. Pratik Joshi, a London-based radiologist, and Dr. Komi Vyas, a pathologist who had just left her job in Udaipur, planned to reunite as a family in the UK
• Their children—twin boys aged five and an eight-year-old daughter—beamed alongside their parents in a joyful snapshot taken mid-cabin, moments before tragedy struck

Crash Details & Casualties

• Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, lost altitude shortly after takeoff, crashing into a medical college hostel and surrounding buildings
• Of the 242 onboard, 241 were killed, including this family of five. Only one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national seated at exit row 11A, survived with injuries

Investigation Underway

• Experts suggest a sudden engine or lift malfunction, but bird strikes also remain under consideration

National & Global Reactions

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words” and activated emergency corridors and flights for affected families
• Compensation of ₹1 crore per deceased was announced, and investigations by Indian, US, UK authorities, and Boeing are ongoing
• Survivors and victims’ families span across India, UK, Canada, and Portugal, prompting global condolences, including from King Charles III and Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford .