Ahmedabad, India
CNN
—
Just yesterday at Ahmedabad airport, Sangeeta Gauswami clung tightly to her only child, her heart swelling with pride as she saw off her 19-year-old son from their home in the western Indian state of Gujarat, to begin a new chapter at university in London.
Now, less than 24 hours later, she sits frozen in shock and grief, in the same clothes she wore for that farewell – her world upended by a devastating crash.
Her son, Sanket, was among the 242 people aboard Air India flight AI171, which plunged from the sky just seconds after take-off – leaving only one survivor, and hundreds of shattered families.
Three officials from India’s National Disaster Response Force told CNN on Friday that a flight recorder from the doomed flight had been located, a crucial step which could provide families with vital clues as to why the plane came down.
The Boeing Dreamliner crashed into a medical college hostel, killing passengers, crew and people on the ground, bringing the death toll to at least 290 – one of India’s deadliest plane crashes in decades.
For hours, Gauswami clung to the faintest hope that Sanket had somehow made it out alive. But by Thursday night, hope had given way to heartbreak as she faced the unimaginable: offering her DNA to help identify her only child among the dead.
“We have had no news,” she chokes out, sat with her sister, who is also crying. “We keep asking but no one will tell us.”
DNA samples have been collected from more than 190 relatives at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and are being verified against retrieved bodies from the crash site. It’s an agonizing process that could take up to 72 hours, according to state official Harshit Gosavi, who is overseeing the operation.
Grief fills the hospital hallways as families grapple with the loss of loved ones. In one corner, an elderly woman’s cries pierce the quiet sobs of others.
Friday’s sorrow is a stark contrast with the chaos of a day earlier, when relatives rushed to the hospital in the hope of finding their loved ones alive.
Manisha Thapa’s family sits shattered after rushing from their home in the eastern city of Patna on the first flight they could find after learning of the plane crash – knowing very well that the 27-year-old was among the cabin crew on the flight.
“I had spoken to her one day ago,” her mother says, voice trembling as she wipes away tears with a tissue offered by her daughter’s friend.
“We speak daily. She had called to let me know we won’t be able to talk because she would be on a long flight.”
Manisha’s father hasn’t stopped weeping since he gave his DNA sample Friday morning.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad Friday, inspecting the crash site and meeting the sole survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Ramesh’s story is being hailed as nothing short of a miracle. Video of him walking to help crash victims with a bloodstained shirt, and lying in hospital with a few cuts and bruises, are circulating widely on social media.
“At first, I thought I was going to die… I realized I was still alive and saw an opening near my seat. I managed to unbuckle myself. I used my leg to push through the opening and crawled out,” he told Indian state broadcaster DD News.
“Everyone around me was either dead or dying. I still don’t understand how I’m alive.”
While the authorities’ immediate focus is on confirming the number of casualties and providing support to the victims’ families, attention will soon turn to what caused the crash.
The US National Transportation Safety Board said it will lead a team that is heading to India to assist local authorities’ probe into the crash. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also formally offered its assistance to Indian authorities, following the crash.
