A Nadiad family suffered deep personal loss in the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171, which went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025 while bound for London.
- Victims from Nadiad: The couple Mahadevbhai Tukaram Pawar and his wife Ashaben Pawar, residents of Saraswati Nagar near New Shorak Ground in Nadiad, were among the passengers on board. This was meant to be their first international visit to see their son in the United Kingdom — a long-awaited family reunion.
- Family’s experience: Relatives, including the couple’s younger son Rameshbhai and nephew Maheshbhai, accompanied them to the airport to bid farewell. Hours later the family received the horrific news of the crash, plunging them into shock and grief.
- Identification process: After the crash, remains were brought to Asarwa Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, where DNA samples were collected to help identify the victims. The process was emotionally overwhelming for families amid the confusion at the hospital.
- Appeal for dignity: A grieving nephew appealed to authorities for respectful and accurate handling of the remains, stressing the emotional and cultural importance of returning correct and intact remains to victims’ families.