From Wedding Plans to Funeral Rites: What began as a joyful trip to London ended in unimaginable loss, as a Surat family of five was confirmed among the 242 victims of the Ahmedabad air disaster.
BY PC Bureau
By PC Bureau | Ahmedabad, June 12, 2025
A family of five from Surat, Gujarat, is among the 242 people confirmed dead in Thursday’s catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI171. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner exploded into flames shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, plummeting into the densely populated Meghaninagar area. With no survivors, the tragedy has sent shockwaves through the nation—and left entire families, like that of the Sanghvis, shattered beyond repair.
The Sanghvi family, comprising businessman Paresh Sanghvi (52), his wife Rekha (48), their daughter Rhea (21), and twin sons Ishaan and Krish (12), had boarded the ill-fated flight to attend a cousin’s wedding in London. They had taken a morning train from Surat to Ahmedabad, excited for what was meant to be a joyful reunion. By afternoon, the family’s WhatsApp group had fallen silent—replaced by panicked calls and, later, the devastating confirmation.
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At their residence in Adajan, neighbors lit candles and held a prayer vigil late into the night. “Pareshbhai was a kind soul who never missed a family occasion,” said Ashok Mehta, a family friend. “The children were bright, full of promise. This is beyond tragic.”
So 3 colleagues of mine are confirmed in the flight the Captain, and two cabin crew I personally knew…this is devastating to say the least…left Air India 11 years ago and yet Air india never left me… #planecrash #ai171 #AhmedabadPlaneCrash #Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/lJbfT2fF7n
— Madhusudan (@planeinsanity) June 12, 2025
Officials at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said that bodies from the wreckage are so badly charred that DNA testing will be necessary to identify the Sanghvi family members. Gujarat government authorities have already begun collecting samples from relatives in Surat to assist forensic teams.
“We are numb,” said Paresh’s younger brother Prakash Sanghvi, speaking outside the hospital. “They were just going to attend a wedding. Now we are preparing to cremate five family members. There’s no word for this kind of pain.”
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Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, visiting the hospital, called the Sanghvi family’s loss “a symbol of the unspeakable grief this crash has caused across India.” The Gujarat government has promised ₹5 lakh ex gratia compensation per deceased person and additional support for affected families.
As the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) continues to analyze the black boxes recovered from the wreckage, preliminary theories including bird strike and mechanical failure remain under investigation.
But for the Sanghvis and countless other families, no investigation will undo the loss. “What was meant to be a celebration has turned into five funerals,” said Mehta. “And an entire city is mourning with them.”
