Families of Air India collision keep memories alive
(MENAFN) What started as a joyful Eid homecoming quickly turned into a heartbreaking tragedy for the Syed family in Malad, a suburb of Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Javed Ali Syed, an award-winning hotel manager living in the UK, had returned to India with his wife, Mariam, and their two young children, six-year-old Amani and four-year-old Zayn, to celebrate Eid al-Adha on June 7.
On June 12, the family boarded a flight back to London, carrying hopes and promises for their next reunion. But tragedy struck.
“I still can’t believe my brother and his entire family are gone,” said Syed Imtiaz Ali, Javed’s younger brother, as he waited for the DNA identification process at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.
Ali shared how he keeps looking at Javed’s messages and photos, unable to accept his loss. “I keep thinking he’ll call or come back. We haven’t told our mother yet – she has heart issues and wouldn’t be able to handle this,” he said, exhaustion clear in his voice.
It was Mariam who had booked Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. Tragically, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner caught fire moments after takeoff, crashing into a medical college in a densely populated residential area. Only one person survived the disaster, which has become one of India’s deadliest aviation accidents.
Javed, Mariam, and their children were among the youngest victims of the crash.
Javed’s father, overwhelmed with grief, spoke of how the family never imagined this would be their last Eid together. “All four were British citizens. We had no idea it would be the last time we saw them,” he said.
He recounted Javed’s hard work to build a life in the UK and his dreams of supporting the family back home. “He was happy about a promotion and wanted to buy a house for his mother and bring her to London. But now our world has shattered.”
“Our family is lower-middle-class. Javed was our hope. Losing all four of them is a loss we cannot accept,” he added.
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