Agra: Neeraj Lavania and his wife Aparna Lavania, residents of Agra, were among the victims of the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash that resulted in 241 deaths. The devastating incident has left their hometown, Akola in Agra district, in deep mourning.
Relatives and villagers have been gathering at the Lavania family home to pay their respects. The somber atmosphere reflects the significant grief felt by the entire community.
Pramod Kumar Sharma, a relative, told IANS that Neeraj was his uncle’s son, known for his kindness and respectfulness. He stated that the entire village is in shock and that many people are coming from nearby areas to offer condolences. The women in the family are especially inconsolable.
Shubham Lavania, Neeraj’s nephew, mentioned that they are only getting information through news reports and that only one person, a survivor, remains. The whole family is heartbroken over the tragedy.
The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London-Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport around 1:30 p.m. on June 12. It collided with a residential building and the mess of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar, a densely populated area about 3 km from the airport, and burst into flames.
Many medical students, gathered in the hostel dining hall at the time, are feared to have been among the casualties. Out of 242 onboard, only one passenger—Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin—survived. He is now receiving treatment at a hospital in Ahmedabad.
Rescue and identification efforts are underway at BJ Medical College, where authorities are using DNA testing to identify the charred remains. The process of returning bodies to their families has begun.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and met with survivors and injured persons at the hospital. He expressed his condolences, calling the loss of so many lives in such a tragic manner beyond words.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation as authorities continue their efforts to examine the wreckage, marking one of India’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent times.