After a year, families of Air India crash victims demand answers, accountability

Families of Air India crash victims gather for a memorial prayer meeting in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2026. Photo credit: Abhinay Deshpande

There were tears and somber memories as families of the victims of the Air India crash gathered at a hotel in Ahmedabad to mark the first anniversary of the disaster demanding justice for the dead.

While many have received compensation from the airline, they said justice still eluded them and wanted the government to release a final report on the crash. “We want answers… We are still waiting to find out the cause of the accident,” said one of the family members.

“My daughter died a year ago and we are still waiting for answers from the government as to how (the crash) happened… there is no official statement or clear what exactly happened on that unfortunate day,” said Atulbhai Patel from Surat. His daughter Vibhuti Patel, a physiotherapist in the UK, was on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed moments after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. tears.

The plane crashed just seconds after takeoff, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew, and 19 people on the ground. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed.

While tributes were paid to the victims, whose photographs were adorned with garlands, rose petals and lamps, family members and the Indian Pilots Federation lamented that there was no statement by the Prime Minister or Chief Minister of Gujarat on the first anniversary of the crash, and that no public representative was present.

“If a similar incident had happened elsewhere in the world, especially in western countries, people would have gathered and organized rallies across the country in memory of the victims. But nothing happened in India,” said federation president CS Randhawa.

He asked the family members to demand land from the government and build a memorial at the crash site.

British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron arrived at the crash site in the city’s Meghaninagar area and paid floral tributes to the victims, saying her thoughts were with all the families affected by the tragedy. She was among the rare dignitaries who paid their respects at the crash site, and her visit made the absence of state or central government representatives all the more conspicuous.

Among the 260 killed in the incident were 52 British citizens. “One year ago today, the tragic Air India crash claimed 260 lives, including 52 British nationals,” Ms Cameron said in a post on X. “I will never forget arriving in Ahmedabad and visiting the site that day. My thoughts are with all the families affected and I thank my team who immediately stood up to support them and continue to do so today in the most difficult of circumstances. To them.”

She later attended a prayer meeting organized at BJ Medical College to pay tribute to the victims, including four MBBS students who were inside their hostel when the plane crashed into the structure.

Deepak Menaria, who hailed from Udaipur, said he lost his father, cook Vardichand Menaria, in the accident. Vardichand was on a business trip to London and was supposed to be back in India by July 1. “But now he is gone forever… no compensation will replace him in our lives. He planned to take us all to London on his next trip,” Mr Deepak said.

Sitting quietly in the chair was Anil Ambalal Patel, a former security guard from Ahmedabad who lost his son Harshit Patel and daughter-in-law Pooja Patel, both 30. The couple, who lived and worked in London, surprised him with a visit to Ahmedabad — their first since 2022. They planned to undergo family treatment and hoped to start fertility treatment during their stay. “It’s been a year and so far no one from the government has approached us for help, which is very heartbreaking,” he said.

Later in the evening, bereaved families held a candlelight vigil near the site.

Published – 12 Jun 2026 22:23 IST