In Air India Crash, Students' Cook, Her Granddaughter Died In Hostel Mess

Seven days have passed since Air India Flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Yet for many families, the uncertainty persists. Among those grieving is the family of 53-year-old Sarla Ben and her granddaughter Adhya, both confirmed dead following a painstaking DNA matching process.

Sarla Ben had worked for years in the mess kitchen of the BJ Medical College hostel, serving meals to MBBS students. On the afternoon of June 12, when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner fell from the sky and struck the hostel complex, she and her granddaughter were inside the mess. Her daughter-in-law and son, who run a lunchbox delivery service to the same hospital, had left their daughter in Sarla Ben's care while distributing meals.

For the past ten years, Sarla Ben has been cooking meals at a doctors' camp. Previously, she worked as a cook at the civil hospital. A few years ago, after the hostel was constructed, she relocated there.
Ten minutes before the accident, her son, daughter-in-law, and another son headed out to deliver lunch. Had they not left, they might have also been victims of the accident.

Sarla's brother, Bharat, recounted the family's trauma over the past week. "We searched every hospital," he told NDTV. "We asked the media for help. For seven days, we had no confirmation. Then the hospital called. They said the DNA matched. That's when we knew."

The crash, which occurred at 1:38 pm on June 12, involved a Dreamliner that had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London Gatwick. The aircraft lost altitude almost immediately, reaching less than 600 feet before issuing a distress call 36 seconds into the flight. Seconds later, it crashed into the northeastern perimeter of the airport, directly striking the residential campus of BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar.

Officials confirmed 33 people from Anand district were on the flight. MP Mitesh Patel told NDTV that 17 of those bodies have been identified and handed over, while work continues to identify the remaining fatalities.

Inside the mess hall, 60-70 medical students were present when the aircraft struck. Many remain hospitalised with burn injuries. Investigators are still working to determine how many were killed on the ground in addition to the passengers on board.

The only survivor of the crash was a British-Indian man seated in 11A. 

As of June 19, at least 18 bodies had been identified using DNA testing, according to the state forensic department. Most families, particularly those from Anand and Kheda districts, have come to Ahmedabad to claim the bodies. One family, that of Sarla Ben, had not received confirmation until late on the seventh day.

According to Bharat, it was only after repeated appeals through television and social media that the family received a call confirming the DNA match. "We would not have stopped looking," he said. "We were checking every hospital, every ward. It took this long for the sample to match."

Many other families remain in limbo. Outside the civil hospital in Ahmedabad, relatives continue to wait for updates. Temporary shelters have been set up by the district administration, while municipal officials coordinate with forensic labs and Air India's local support team.

Gujarat's Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, visited the site two days after the crash and met with the families. He announced compensation for the families of the dead, along with a dedicated task force to handle logistics related to identification, documentation, and body repatriation.

Several passengers were Indian-origin residents of the United Kingdom, including students and working professionals returning after family visits. MP Mitesh Patel confirmed that at least five families in Anand have relatives who held British passports.

DNA tests for foreign nationals have been expedited, with results communicated through embassies. A special consular desk has been established at the civil hospital to liaise with the UK High Commission and other foreign missions.

In the aftermath of the crash, some civil society groups have raised concerns over the proximity of residential and educational institutions to the airport's flight path. The BJ Medical College hostel complex, which houses both students and staff, lies barely 800 metres from the main runway.