Six months after the June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, bereaved families continue to mourn while pressing for answers. The Boeing 787-8 lost fuel to both engines and crashed, killing 241 of 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground; one passenger survived. Relatives report delays in receiving promised compensation from Air India and Tata Group and some have joined legal actions to determine responsibility. For many families, grief and the effort to rebuild daily life remain the immediate priorities.
Six Months On: Families Of Air India Flight 171 Victims Mourn And Demand Answers
The Air India crash site has been cleared of aircraft debris, but a charred building and a few rusted shells of burned-out cars remain (Indranil MUKHERJEE)(Indranil MUKHERJEE/AFP/AFP)
A flickering candle casts a faint glow over the photograph of 12-year-old Akash Patni, the quiet boy whose life was taken when Air India flight 171 crashed into buildings in Ahmedabad on June 12. Six months after the disaster, Akash's parents and four siblings gather daily to pray before his picture in the small, dim room they call home.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had just departed for London when, for reasons that remain under investigation, fuel was cut to both engines. Deprived of power, the aircraft crashed into buildings beyond the runway, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew on board and 19 residents on the ground; one passenger survived.
"My son was sitting near the tea stall when a part of the plane fell on him... there was smoke and fire everywhere and nobody could go near the site," said Akash's father, 48-year-old tea vendor Suresh Patni. "The boy was burnt to ashes... We could not even take him to the hospital." Akash's mother, Sita Patni, bears burn scars from trying to pull her son from the flames. "I am in pain the whole day," she said. "I tried to save him, but he did not survive."
Compensation And Delays
Relatives say Air India initially paid the equivalent of $28,000 to each bereaved family, and owner Tata Group pledged an additional $112,000. Families report delays in receiving the full promised amounts. "We are yet to get the remaining amount," said 49-year-old police officer Kiritsinh Chavda, who lost his brother and sister-in-law.
An Air India spokesperson acknowledged the delay and asked for patience: "The process for final compensation is underway. We are deeply conscious of our responsibility and are providing support and care to all families affected by the tragedy, which remains our absolute priority." For some relatives, the payments are important; for others, money cannot replace lost loved ones.
Calls For Accountability
Many families want answers. Retired academic Badasab Saiyed, who lost four relatives, joined a complaint filed by a British law firm seeking to establish responsibility. "The main thing is, who is the culprit responsible? Was there lax maintenance, or was there a problem with the Boeing plane itself? Or was it a pilot error?" he asked. Investigators continue to examine maintenance records, aircraft systems and operations, but no definitive public report has yet explained why fuel was cut to both engines.
Aftermath And Community Trauma
Identification of many victims proved difficult because bodies were badly burned, and in some cases it took days to confirm identities. The crash site has since been cleared of most debris; only the charred remains of the structure that supported the plane's tail and a few rusted vehicle shells remain to mark the scene.
Grief and trauma endure. "I can't bear the sound of a plane now. I keep looking down; I can't look up at the sky," Akash's mother said. Some families focus on legal and technical accountability; others are consumed by mourning and the practical challenge of rebuilding their lives after devastating loss.
Key facts: June 12 crash of Air India Flight 171 (Boeing 787-8); 241 of 242 aboard and 19 on the ground killed; investigation ongoing; compensation pledges by Air India and Tata Group; families seek answers and await full payments.
