In one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent history, the Air India AI171 flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, taking the lives of 260 people — including a family of five from Rajasthan whose final smiling selfie has now gone viral across the internet.
A Family Full of Dreams, Lost in Seconds
Among the 242 passengers and crew aboard the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Dr. Kaumi Vyas, her husband Pratik Joshi, and their three children — Miraya, and twin sons Pradyut and Nakul — boarded the flight from Ahmedabad to London to start a new chapter of their lives.
As the family settled into their seats, Pratik Joshi captured a smiling selfie with all five of them — a moment filled with joy, hope, and excitement. That photo, now circulating widely on social media, would unknowingly become their final memory together.
Moving to London to Begin a New Life
According to reports, Pratik Joshi worked in London and had returned to India to bring his wife and kids to live with him permanently. His wife, Dr. Kaumi Vyas, served at a private hospital in Rajasthan. The family hailed from Banswara city and had been preparing for this new beginning for months.
Shortly after boarding the flight, Kaumi Vyas had posted the photo of their family selfie on social media — a moment of happiness that soon turned into heartbreak.
The Deadly Crash That Shocked the Nation
The AI171 flight took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM. Just 33 seconds into its flight, tragedy struck. The plane lost control and crashed into a residential area near the BJ Medical College campus in Ahmedabad, damaging an intern’s hostel building and killing several people on the ground as well.
Out of the 242 people aboard (230 passengers and 12 crew members), only one survivor — a passenger named Ramesh Vishvaskumar — is currently undergoing treatment. The death toll including ground casualties has reached 260, making this crash one of the deadliest in Indian aviation history.
A Viral Photo That Speaks a Thousand Words
The selfie of Pratik Joshi and his family — smiling unknowingly just minutes before the tragedy — has left netizens shaken. Thousands of people across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram have shared the image, paying tribute to the lost family and reflecting on how fragile life truly is.
A Nation in Mourning
As the nation grieves, rescue teams, medical workers, and authorities continue recovery and identification efforts. Families of the victims, including the Joshi-Vyas family, are devastated and seeking answers. Investigations are underway into the cause of the crash, with reports suggesting a possible engine failure or mechanical fault.