While the mourners were converging at the site, the government announced that the probe report was yet to be completed.
A mother sobbed into the folds of her saree, while another wailed as she gazed at damaged buildings from behind iron gates. Another family came with a pastor to offer prayers for their departed son and daughter-in-law.
Emotions ran high as families of the 260 people killed in last year’s plane accident in Ahmedabad gathered near the crash site on Friday evening to mark the first anniversary of one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country.
The reason behind the crash is still not known. While the mourners were converging at the site, the government announced that the probe report was yet to be completed.
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers had plunged into the hostel and canteen buildings of the BJ Medical College seconds after taking off. The incident killed 260 people, including 241 passengers and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived the accident.
Several families said even after 365 days, the government was not able to find what led to the disaster. They said that they were looking forward to a closure.
“We don’t understand why the report has been delayed. It’s been a year now. A comprehensive report should have come by now,” David Christian, who lost his son and daughter-in-law in the accident, told reporters at the site.
At the crash site, a large police contingent was deployed and the road was cordoned off to make way for a ‘bhajan sandhya’ held in memory of 12-year-old Akash Patni and other victims of the tragedy.
Patni was at a tea stall near the BJ Medical College hostel buildings when the crashing aircraft claimed his life. His family had erected a life-size cutout adorned with flowers as a tribute at the site. His mother Sitaben remained inconsolable as relatives and well-wishers gathered to remember him.
Earlier in the day, the British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, visited the crash site and paid her respects to the victims.
