One year after the Air India AI-171 crash devastated the BJ Medical College hostel complex and surrounding area in Ahmedabad, the Patni family revisited the site. Akash Patni, a 15-year-old cricket-loving Class 7 student, had spent his final afternoon helping his mother at her tea stall near the hostel. Tragically, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into the area, claiming 260 lives in one of India’s worst aviation disasters.
Standing at the crash site on the anniversary, Akash’s aunt, Hansaben, recounted the events that altered their lives forever. Akash had been resting under a shaded area while his mother worked, and when the plane crashed, his mother suffered severe burn injuries trying to reach him. Despite sustaining burns to her face, back, and waist, she survived the blast that took Akash’s life.
The family endured the agony of concealing Akash’s death from his mother as she underwent treatment for her burns. It took six days to recover and identify Akash’s body, leaving deep emotional scars on the family. The first anniversary was marked with prayers and tributes near the crash site, where damaged buildings serve as grim reminders of the tragedy.
The state government plans to demolish the damaged hostel complex and build a new facility with support from the Tata Group. However, for the Patni family, the site remains a poignant place of remembrance rather than redevelopment. A photograph of Akash now stands where their tea stall once stood, serving as a solemn tribute to the lives lost.
