'Nightmare in broad daylight': Tales of loss, escapes from doomed flight

From a miraculous survivor to haunting farewells and missed destinies, human stories from the Air India crash reveal the pain, shock, and chance that marked one of India's worst air disasters

The crash of Air India Flight AI171, which claimed at least 204 lives, has shaken several families. As emergency teams pulled bodies from the wreckage strewn across Meghani Nagar — a dense residential neighbourhood in Ahmedabad — stories of heartbreak, miraculous survival, and missed fates emerged.

 

The London-bound Boeing 787, carrying 242 people, including 11 children and a diverse passenger list from four countries, went down minutes after takeoff, leaving behind mangled debris, orphaned families, and unanswered questions. Amid the devastation, several stories of narrow escapes have also come to light.

Smiling farewell before the end

A story that deeply moved social media users was that of Jamie Ray Meek, a British national who posted a cheerful video on Instagram just before boarding AI171. In the clip, filmed at Ahmedabad airport, Meek appeared content and reflective.

 

“We’re at the airport, just boarding. Goodbye India, 10-hour flight back to London,” he said with a smile. Turning to a companion, he added, “My biggest takeaway is to not lose your patience with your partner… Going back happily, happily, happily calm.” 

 

Meek was one of 53 British nationals on the doomed flight. His video has now become a haunting reminder of lives cut short in moments of calm.

Missed by minutes, saved by fate

Bhoomi Chauhan, a young woman flying alone to London, escaped death by just 10 minutes. She missed boarding AI171 due to traffic delays.

 

“I am completely devastated after hearing about the loss (of lives). My body is literally shivering. I am not able to talk. My mind is totally blank now after hearing all that has happened,” Chauhan told Republic TV. 

 

Having left the airport at 1:30 pm, she narrowly avoided boarding the flight that took off just eight minutes later — and crashed within minutes. “My mind is totally blank. I am thankful to God. My Ganpati Bappa saved me,” she added, still in shock from the narrow escape.

A daughter lost, a family torn

In Manipur’s Thoubal district, grief swept through the home of Nganthoi Sharma Kongbrailatpam, a 21-year-old cabin crew member aboard AI171. News of her death came through media reports, not official channels.

 

Her family was seen weeping over photo albums, desperately clutching memories. “My child, my child, I raised with these hands, where have you gone? I want to see you,” wailed her mother in a video shared by PTI. 

 

“She said she would not be able to call for the next few days and that she would get in touch after she returned on June 15. That ended up being her last call to us,” her father, Nandesh Kumar Sharma, recalled. Nganthoi had only recently begun working at Air India after being selected during a walk-in interview. She lived in Mumbai with other young women from the Northeast working in aviation.

 

For the Kongbrailatpam family, silence from the airline has only deepened the wound. “We have not received any information from Air India or any representative. All we know is from the news and Facebook,” said Nganthoi’s father.

A newlywed’s final journey

Khushboo, a 21-year-old bride from Rajasthan’s Balotra, was among the passengers who never made it to their new life abroad. Married to a UK-based doctor in January this year, she had been waiting months to join him in London. Her journey ended in tragedy. 

 

Her father, Madan Singh, had driven her to Ahmedabad the night before the flight. A photo of them at the airport was the last the family would see — shared with the message: “Ashirwad Khushboo beta, going to London.”

 

Khushboo had bid an emotional farewell to her mother and siblings before leaving. The crash has left her family and village reeling from the sudden, devastating loss.