A UK-based Indian doctor and his entire family were among the victims of the Air India plane crash that killed over 240 people in India on Thursday.
Dr. Prateek Joshi, a radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital, died along with his wife, Dr. Komi Vyas, and their three young children—twin five-year-old sons Nakul and Pradyut, and eight-year-old daughter Miraya.
According to The Telegraph, the family took a selfie moments before the crash, showing them smiling and excited to begin a new life in the UK. Dr. Joshi had flown to India just two days earlier to reunite with his family, who were about to move to Britain after a period apart.
In the photo taken aboard the plane, Dr. Joshi is seen smiling beside his wife of 10 years, who had recently resigned from her position in Udaipur. Their three children, seated nearby, are also beaming with joy in what would become a heartbreaking final image.
Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed 30 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad airport. India’s aviation regulator said the aircraft issued a mayday call—a distress signal—before it crashed into the Meghani Nagar residential area. No further communication was received from the aircraft.
The crash killed 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 Britons. The family’s story has gone viral across social media, as people around the world express their grief over the tragedy.
