Stories end: Happy send-offs for family reunions turn into teary farewells

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Ahmedabad: Among the lives lost in the tragic crash on Thursday were members of one of Ahmedabad's well-known families — the Nandas, owners of Cargo Motors. Pramukh Nanda, his wife Neha and their son Prayas had boarded the flight to London, where Prayas was set to begin his higher education.
Sameer Naik, a close family friend, rushed to Civil Hospital upon hearing of the crash, desperately seeking information about the Nandas. "There was no clear update on their whereabouts or condition," Naik said, visibly shaken. "I'm praying for their safety. I've been trying to reach the authorities to find out which ward they might be in, but we still don't know if they've survived."
Like the Nandas, the aircraft carried passengers who were looking forward to new beginnings.
But fate had other plans. Within minutes into the crash, ambulances began arriving in quick succession at the trauma centre of Civil Hospital in Asarwa, their sirens cutting through the stunned silence that had settled over the premises. Inside the ambulances were charred bodies of people who, just a few moments earlier, were enthusiastic flyers on their way to London — grandparents eager to see their grandchildren for the first time, couples visiting their children who had made new lives abroad, students waiting to build careers.
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Almost 1.5km away from the runway, bodies were being retrieved from the wreckage of Atulyam building in Meghaninagar, where Air India Flight 171 had carved its final arc. Nirman Dabhi paced up and down restlessly near the trauma centre. His brother-in-law, Prashant Patel from Kathlal, was on the ill-fated flight, though Dabhi had not known of any travel plans until his cousin called him with the news. "I didn't know he is travelling but my cousin called me when she heard the news of the plane crash.
I am here to get information on Prashant," he said.
Nearby, Jigar Barot waited for a word regarding his brother Gaurav and sister-in-law Kalyani Brahmbhatt, Londoners who had returned to Gandhinagar three years ago but still crossed the Atlantic regularly. "They lived in the UK for many years and had moved to Gandhinagar around three years ago. They keep visiting London frequently. I hope they are safe," he said.
A distraught Himanshu Parmar was seen looking for his relatives, Bhogilal and Hansaben Parmar.
Bhogilal was travelling with his wife to London to meet their son Rohan and daughter-in-law Shraddha who were expecting their first child. The trip had been planned around the newborn's arrival. "Bhogilal is a retired jailer. He and his wife were going to London to visit Rohan and his wife Shraddha who were expecting their first child," Parmar said, hoping they were safe.
The relatives of Neha and Hemant Pandya were getting impatient with the roadblocks, their grief turning into anger, while on their way to Civil Hospital.
"At least tell us the status of our loved ones," one family member snapped, as they finally reached the hospital. "We have not come to hang out here."
At the trauma centre, Utsav Shah maintained his vigil for his uncle and aunt, Pinakin and Rupa Shah, aged 58 and 55. The couple from Kalol had been bound for London to see their son's new house, the kind of visit that marks the successful migration of the next generation. They had been seen off by relatives who, before reaching home, found themselves at the hospital shocked and in tears.
Dashrath and his wife Dahi Gauri Patel were on their first visit to England, where their son Ketan was settled. Similarly, Dinesh and his wife Krishna Patel were on their way to England to meet their son Vikram. Sombhai and Jyotiben Patel, residents of Swami Akhand Anand Society in Ghatlodia, too were on the flight, looking forward to meeting their son who has settled in the UK, said Dhrumil Patel, a social worker.
Salim Patel, a resident of Sarod village in Jambusar, stood outside Civil Hospital trauma centre in disbelief.
His 27-year-old son, Sahil, was among the passengers on the ill-fated flight. "He had secured a job in London," Salim said, his voice trembling. Sahil has a younger brother and two sisters. "He left home at 4am, and at 1.05 pm, he called us to say the flight was delayed. That was the last I heard from him. Then came the news of the crash.
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Dr Salim Kaduji from Bharuch mourned the loss of his brother, 55-year-old Sarojda Salimbhai.
Sarojda was travelling to London to visit his daughter, Sahista, a physician. "It was his first visit," said Kaduji. "Sahista had invited him over, saying it was summer in the UK and they could enjoy some time together." Sarojda had left Bharuch for the airport early on Thursday, accompanied by his daughters, Sahima and Sana.
"They had just boarded a taxi after seeing him off when they heard the flight had crashed," he added.
Ashwin Patel, from Kapadvanj, spoke of 23-year-old Dirg Patel, who had recently completed his graduate studies in the UK. "He had come to India a month ago and was headed back for a job opportunity in the IT sector," Ashwin said. "Dirg's elder brother is already settled in the UK." Among the victims are Dilip Patel and his wife. "He was the founder of Amishi Drugs, a manufacturer of bulk drugs and formulations based Naroda GIDC, and the director of Rajpath Club.
The couple was going to London to meet their daughter." Subhash Amin, director of Lubi Pumps, a leading company in pumping solutions, was also among the victims.
Another grieving relative, Mohsin Patel, could barely speak. His brother, Altaf Patel, 52, was on his way to visit their mother in London. "We heard about the crash… we're not in the state of mind to talk to anyone," he said, his voice trailing off. The Boeing 787-8 had lifted off from Ahmedabad at 1.38pm on Thursday, carrying 242 passengers to London Gatwick. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, one Canadian and seven Portuguese on board.
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