The aftermath of the Air India Flight 171 crash continues to send shockwaves across the globe, as families grapple with unimaginable loss. Among the heartbreaking stories emerging from the tragedy, the final words of passengers to their loved ones are particularly poignant. One such story involves Ramesh Patel, a British citizen who was among the 242 passengers on the ill-fated flight bound for Gatwick Airport.
Ramesh was one of 53 British citizens on board the flight when the Boeing Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. For his family in the UK, the last contact they had with him was a brief phone call just before the flight's departure. According to his distraught daughter, Priya, Ramesh managed to say just five words: "I am comfortably seated now." These simple words, meant to reassure his family, now serve as a painful reminder of a life cut short.
Priya recounted the moments leading up to the crash. "We spoke to him as he was boarding," she said, her voice thick with grief. "He told us he was getting comfortable and that he would call us when he landed in London. Those five words were the last we ever heard from him." The family had been eagerly anticipating his return, as Ramesh was coming back from a trip to India to visit relatives.
The crash occurred on Thursday when, moments after takeoff, the pilot of Air India Flight 171 issued a distress call: "Thrust not achieved… falling… Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" The aircraft then crashed into buildings near Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, resulting in a catastrophic loss of life. Aviation officials are currently investigating the cause of the crash, with initial findings suggesting a possible thrust failure during takeoff.
The impact of the crash extends far beyond the immediate families of the victims. Communities are mourning the loss of loved ones, and support is pouring in from around the world. In one particularly heart-wrenching case, a fundraiser has been established for two young girls who were orphaned by the crash. Their father, Arjun Patoliya, was traveling to India to scatter his late wife's ashes, fulfilling her final wish. Just 18 days after his wife's death from cancer, he tragically perished in the Air India crash.
Another devastating story involves Lawrence Daniel Christian, who had traveled from London to India to perform the last rites for his father. He was on his way back to London when the crash occurred, leaving his mother a widow who has now lost both her husband and her son. "He came only for a few days," she lamented. "Just a short visit – only to honor his father."
Amidst the grief and devastation, there is a glimmer of hope. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a passenger on the flight, miraculously survived the crash. He managed to call his father moments after the disaster, telling him, "Oh the plane's crashed. I don't know where my brother is. I don't see any other passengers. I don't know how I'm alive, how I exited the plane." He was later found to be disoriented with injuries all over his body, but his survival is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
As families await DNA tests to confirm the identities of their loved ones, the world mourns the victims of this tragic event. The five words spoken by Ramesh Patel, "I am comfortably seated now," serve as a poignant reminder of the human cost of this disaster and the enduring love that connects families, even in the face of tragedy.
