Latest news with #NileshVaghela
Time of India
15-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Coffin maker fulfils duty with quiet dignity after air crash
1 2 Ahmedabad: Before the morning sun could warm the pavement outside Civil Hospital on Thursday, Nilesh Vaghela arrived in a truck loaded with 20 wooden coffins. Neatly arranged, polished to sombre perfection, and lined with care, the coffins bore no names yet — only the weight of untold stories. For most, coffins are symbols of finality. For Nilesh, they are acts of service. "People talk of borders and visas. But coffins don't ask for passports. They all look the same in death," he adds. The 47-year-old coffin maker, who resides in CTM, was in the trade for 15 years. He usually works with just one helper, making seven coffins a day. But following the AI 171 air crash, which killed 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, he received an urgent request for 100 coffins. "Luckily, I had over 50 ready in stock. I regularly help send the remains of the deceased abroad — to London, the US. But this felt different," he said. Despite the demand, he refused to hike prices or take advance payments. "This is not the time for profit," he said. As he returns to his workshop to prepare more, Nilesh continues doing his bit. "I don't know their names. But I hope they are remembered with dignity. That's what I've tried to give them. Whatever happened was tragic, but I love this about our country — in times like this, everyone unites. No one asks whose body it is. We just do what needs to be done."
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Air India Ahmedabad-London flight crash: Auto driver turns carpenter; crafts coffins for victims
Sawdust coats every surface of Nilesh Vaghela's home in Hari Nagar Society, where the 47-year-old auto-rickshaw driver has transformed into an unlikely hero of Ahmedabad's darkest hour. Since receiving an urgent call from Air India hours after Thursday's crash (June 12, 2025), Mr. Vaghela has been working round-the-clock, crafting coffins for victims with the precision of a seasoned carpenter. 'I've delivered 80 coffins so far, with 20 more to go by today evening,' Mr. Vaghela told The Hindu, his bloodshot eyes betraying three straight days of working 21-hour shifts. Air India Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Identities of 31 victims ascertained through DNA tests Father of a teenager, Mr. Vaghela, who normally earns his living ferrying passengers, has barely slept since the disaster, surviving on short naps between measuring, cutting, and assembling the simple wooden boxes that will cradle his city's dead. 'I'm cutting the wood and assembling the boxes and attending to the never-ending phone calls from the hospital to supply the coffins immediately — all at once. I can't rest until I complete the deliveries,' he said. Ahmedabad plane crash: Giant plane tears through hostel; some students missing, 60 hurt When he first got a call requesting coffins for all victims, Mr. Vaghela — who occasionally built coffins for extra income — had to calculate how many he could realistically produce. 'I told them 100 in two days was all I could promise at first,' he recalled. 'More than business, I consider this as a seva (service) to humanity,' Mr. Vaghela said. He has even sought help from his neighbours to store the coffins in their buildings, as his own home does not have enough space. 'Many ask me why I make coffins despite being a Hindu… I tell them it's not about religion or anything else — it's about humanity. Now, everyone has come forward to help me store the boxes,' he said. Air India plane crashed just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad; pilot gave mayday call Each coffin carved by Mr. Vaghela carries no name — only the silence of lives abruptly lost, and the stories that never be told. 'I'm making more than 30 boxes a day. I don't have any workers — this isn't my regular job. And anyway, which coffin maker would keep hundreds of boxes ready in advance? This is such a tragic incident. How could anyone foresee a day like this?' he added.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: 'This one felt different', coffin maker after order for 100 units
Representative image (Picture credit: AP) AHMEDABAD: The morning sun had barely warmed the pavement outside Ahmedabad's civil hospital Friday when Nilesh Vaghela, 47, arrived with his truckload of 20 wooden coffins. Neatly arranged, polished to sombre perfection,& lined with care, the coffins bore no names yet, only the weight of untold stories. For most, coffins are a symbol of finality. For Nilesh, they are acts of service. "People talk of borders and visas. But coffins don't ask for passports. They all look the same in death," he adds. Nilesh has been in the trade for 15 years. He works with one helper, making 7 coffins a day. But following the AI-171 crash, which killed 274 people, including 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese and 1 Canadian, he received an urgent request for 100 coffins. "I had over 50 ready in stock. I regularly help send the remains of the deceased abroad, to London, the US. But this felt different," he said. Despite the demand, he refused to hike prices or take advance payments: "This is not the time for profit." As he returns to his workshop to prepare more, Nilesh continues doing his bit.
