By Muhammad Abubakar
A young Indian family’s new life abroad ended in tragedy when Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed this morning, killing 241 people on board, with one miraculous survivor.
Among the victims were Dr Pratik Joshi and Dr Komi Vyas, both accomplished medical professionals, and their three children: aged 9, 6, and just 18 months. Their story, tragically, has come to embody the human cost of an unthinkable disaster.
Dr. Joshi, 38, had been living and working in London for the past six years, laying the foundation for a new life in the UK. Tirelessly working through the red tape of immigration and professional certification, he had long dreamed of reuniting his family abroad and offering them a brighter, safer future.
That dream was finally within reach. Just two days ago, Dr. Komi Vyas resigned from her job at a government hospital in Gujarat. The couple had packed up their lives, said their goodbyes, and looked forward to turning the page. Friends and relatives recall their excitement and plans to settle in South London, enrol their children in school, and continue their medical careers.
Before boarding the flight, the family took a photo after boarding and sent it to relatives with the caption: “One way to a new beginning.” Minutes later, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control moments after taking off.
The Indian diaspora in the UK, especially among the medical fraternity, is mourning the loss. “Pratik was more than a colleague; he was a friend and a father trying to do right by his family,” said Dr. Meena Chauhan, who worked alongside him at St. George’s Hospital in London. “He was so excited they were finally joining him. It’s just incomprehensible.”
Back home in Vadodara, grief has swept through the neighbourhood. Friends and family gathered at the now shuttered family home, still echoing with recent packing sounds. A neighbour, clutching the last family photograph, said, “They were finally going to be together. They had waited so long.”
In a world fixated on the future, this family’s tale serves as a profound reminder to value the present—to embrace life, to express love, and to never delay happiness.