Latest news with #Thakor
News18
10 hours ago
- General
- News18
Tiffin Seller's Lunch Delivery Saves 80 Doctors From Ahmedabad Plane Crash; Loses Mother, Daughter
Last Updated: On June 12, Ravi Thakor, his wife, father, and a relative left the mess at 1 pm to deliver tiffin. Their daughter Aadhya stayed behind due to the heat For over 15 years, Ravi Thakor and his family have quietly served meals to doctors at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad's Asarwa. But June 12 brought a heartbreaking turn for the family—Thakor's mother and two-year-old daughter were among the victims of the Air India flight crash. In a tragic twist of fate, Thakor's simple act of kindness that day—insisting on delivering lunch to the hospital instead of having doctors come to the mess—ended up saving the lives of nearly 80 medical staff, moments before the crash occurred at 1:40 pm. Thakor's family has long been committed to preparing and serving food at the BJ Medical College hostel mess. On June 12, Ravi Thakor, his wife Lalita, his father Prahlad Thakor, and a relative departed the mess at 1 pm to deliver tiffin. Their two-year-old daughter, Aadhya, wished to accompany them, but they left her behind, concerned about the heat. Thakor's mother, Sarla Thakor, stayed back to cook at the mess. Thakor recounted the events with a heavy heart, 'She was crying and insisted on coming with us. So, when she finally calmed down, we quietly slipped out." 'It was our daily routine to fill the tiffin, deliver the food, wash the utensils, and prepare for the next day. But we couldn't take Aadhya along, especially with the heavy tiffin in the heat," Thakor added. However, everything changed at 1:40 pm when a massive explosion occurred, and Air India Flight 171 crashed into the mess building. Thakor said, 'They were busy with their daily work. But at 1:40 pm, everything changed. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion—flames and black smoke started rising. The flight had hit the mess building, the same place where I had left my mother and daughter. We rushed to the spot, but the police and others stopped us. Some doctors pointed out what might have happened." Hints from doctors suggested the grim reality. For two days, Ravi Thakor and Lalita clung to hope, praying that Sarla and Aadhya were missing, not dead. Their worst fears were confirmed on Thursday morning when the DNA report revealed that both had perished. 'We performed their last rites on Thursday. Our lives once revolved around serving food—now, all that remains is silence," Thakor said. The accident left an unbearable void for Thakor's family. The tiffin service that had been their means of helping others turned into the cause of their own tragedy. The police and administration are investigating the incident, and the family has been promised support. On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, en route to London with 242 people on board, crashed in Ahmedabad. The aircraft collided with a medical complex in the Meghaninagar area shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all passengers and crew except one, along with 29 individuals on the ground. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 20, 2025, 17:52 IST
The Print
a day ago
- General
- The Print
After a week's search, family working in hostel mess cremates mother & 2-yr-old killed in Air India crash
'He got a call at 3 pm Wednesday saying his DNA samples had matched at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. We took possession of the bodies today and performed the last rites. The formalities were smooth. The family is doing okay,' Lala Prajapati, Thakor's friend who answered his phone Thursday afternoon, told ThePrint. Thakor—whose family worked in the hostel mess of the BJ Medical College where an Ahmedabad-Mumbai Air India flight crashed within 2 minutes of takeoff on 12 June—performed the last rites for his mother, Sarlaben, and 2-year-old daughter, Adya in Ahmedabad Thursday. Mumbai: After a week of frantically searching for his mother and daughter following the Air India crash, Ravi Thakor Thursday found some closure, though it wasn't the closure he had hoped for. The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into BJ Medical College's hostel building in the Meghnaninagar neighbourhood, which is close to the airport. The flight was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members. Only one, a British national of Indian origin, survived. Thakor's family had been working in the hostel mess for 15 years. He and his wife, Lalita, would routinely make tiffin deliveries for doctors and MBBS students to the nearby Ahmedabad Civil Hospital complex. That fateful day, too, Thakor and his wife had stepped out to make tiffin deliveries. His mother, Sarlaben, was cooking in the hostel mess kitchen, while his daughter, was taking an afternoon nap next to her grandmother. Thakor's 5-year-old son had finished eating and left the floor. He survived the crash. By the time Thakor and his wife started making their way back to the hostel, they saw thick black smoke in the air and suspected there was a massive fire. The police stopped them just before the site and informed them about the plane crash. Since that moment last Thursday afternoon, Thakor had been desperately searching for his mother and daughter, alternating between the crash site and the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. He had told ThePrint he hoped that they had managed to escape through a staircase not far from the mess. On Friday morning, he and his wife gave their blood samples in the hospital for a DNA test. When they didn't hear anything by Saturday evening, they even filed a missing persons report in Meghaninagar police station. So far, the administration has found 211 DNA matches and handed over 189 bodies. While there is still no official record of the total number of deaths caused by the plane crash, the number is being pegged at about 270. Sixty-eight others were injured in the crash. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: Air India crash: Family supplying tiffin to medical college awaits news on missing kin, including 2-yr-old
Deccan Herald
a day ago
- General
- Deccan Herald
Canteen worker's hopes dashed, no second miracle as remains of kin found
A canteen worker in a college hostel, Thakor and other family members had left the hostel around 30 minutes before Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into the building.
The Star
a day ago
- General
- The Star
Indian canteen worker's hopes dashed, no second miracle in air crash
FILE PHOTO: A fire officer stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, in Ahmedabad, India, June 13, 2025. - Photo: Reuters AHMEDABAD, (India): Ravi Thakor had been hoping his mother and two-year old daughter had escaped just before an Air India jet crashed into the building they were in. A week after one of the world's worst aviation disasters killed more than 270 people in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Thakor's hopes were dashed when doctors matched his DNA on Wednesday (June 18) with the remains of his mother Sarla and daughter Aadhya. A canteen worker in a college hostel, Thakor and other family members had left the hostel around 30 minutes before Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into the building. Sarla had stayed back, cooking and looking after Aadhya, who was asleep. Thakor and his wife Lalita searched for them in hospitals and the morgue after the crash. After not finding them for days, they said they were hoping for a "second miracle", referring to the lone passenger aboard the plane who survived the disaster. On Thursday, the dead bodies were handed over to Thakor's family for the final rites. "We are going to cremate my mother and daughter. It is very difficult for me to say anything right now, but at least we know what happened to them," Thakor said, struggling to speak. At least 211 DNA samples had been matched, and 189 dead bodies handed over to families, Rakesh Joshi, the medical superintendent at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital told reporters on Thursday. The dead included 241 people on board the plane and at least 30 on the ground. - Reuters
Straits Times
a day ago
- General
- Straits Times
Indian canteen worker's hopes dashed, no second miracle in air crash
AHMEDABAD, India - Ravi Thakor had been hoping his mother and two-year old daughter had escaped just before an Air India jet crashed into the building they were in. A week after one of the world's worst aviation disasters killed more than 270 people in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Thakor's hopes were dashed when doctors matched his DNA on Wednesday with the remains of his mother Sarla and daughter Aadhya. A canteen worker in a college hostel, Thakor and other family members had left the hostel around 30 minutes before Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into the building. Sarla had stayed back, cooking and looking after Aadhya, who was asleep. Thakor and his wife Lalita searched for them in hospitals and the morgue after the crash. After not finding them for days, they said they were hoping for a "second miracle", referring to the lone passenger aboard the plane who survived the disaster. On Thursday, the dead bodies were handed over to Thakor's family for the final rites. "We are going to cremate my mother and daughter. It is very difficult for me to say anything right now, but at least we know what happened to them," Thakor said, struggling to speak. At least 211 DNA samples had been matched, and 189 dead bodies handed over to families, Rakesh Joshi, the medical superintendent at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital told reporters on Thursday. The dead included 241 people on board the plane and at least 30 on the ground. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
