From Dream to Devastation: Doctor Couple, Three Kids Killed in Ahmedabad Air India Crash

Hours after the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, heartbreaking stories have started pouring in. One such story that has left everyone shaken is that of a doctor couple and their three children. What was supposed to be the start of a new life turned into a moment of unimaginable loss.

Just minutes before the tragedy, the family had clicked a group selfie—their last—with the parents seated on one side of the aisle and their three children on the other.

Doctor Couple and Their Three Children

Dr. Koni Vyas and her husband, Dr. Prateek Joshi, had been preparing for a new chapter in their lives. Dr. Prateek, a radiologist, had been working in London for the past four years. Dr. Koni, a pathologist at a private hospital in Banswara, Rajasthan, had resigned just a month ago to move to London with their children and reunite as a family.

Dr. Prateek graduated from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, Karnataka, in the 2000-05 batch.

According to their relatives, the couple had been married for a decade and were raising three young children together—five-year-old twin boys, Pradyut and Nakul, and an eight-year-old daughter, Miraya.

For the past month, Dr. Koni had been preparing to move. Dr. Prateek had flown back from London just three days before so he could accompany his family. They were all excited to begin a new chapter, but fate had other plans.

Back home, both families are struggling to come to terms with the loss. Prateek’s father was also a radiologist and ran a renowned sonography centre in the area. He had a sister who worked as an engineer.

Dr. Koni, on the other hand, was living in Udaipur with their three children, where the kids were studying. She had two sisters and a brother.

On Wednesday, the couple had left for Ahmedabad to board their flight to London. Some of Dr. Koni’s relatives had even accompanied them to the airport to see them off. Now, the same family members are in the painful process of identifying their bodies.

So far, 11 people from Rajasthan have been confirmed on the plane.

Dr. Munish Raizada, MD, FAAP, posted on X (social media platform):

The crash also claimed the life of 39-year-old Ranjitha, a nurse based in London who had been planning to return to her hometown in Kerala. She had recently secured a position with the state health department and was excited to reunite with her husband and two children in India. Her plans to come home and serve in her native land ended in heartbreak.

Authorities have begun releasing the bodies of victims that could be identified without the need for DNA analysis. Autopsies are being conducted at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad.

Among the deceased was Aryan Rajput, a first-year MBBS student from Gwalior. He had been in the hostel mess for lunch when the aircraft came crashing into the building.

“The lone survivor is under psychiatric care for trauma and is also receiving counselling. He is unable to recall much, but said he managed to jump out of the aircraft as he was seated near the emergency exit,” said Rakesh S Joshi, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad.

Latest Update

According to the latest update shared by Dr. Rakesh S Joshi, Medical Superintendent at Civil Hospital, 60 injured people were brought in after the crash, and 22 have since been discharged.

The Air India flight had taken off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday morning. But within minutes, it lost control and crashed into the hostel mess of BJ Medical College. Of the 241 people onboard, only one survived according to Air India. Several others—including medical students in the hostel—were left injured.

(Input From Various Sources)

(Rehash/Pooja Bansal/MSM)