Grief Strikes Twice: Sister of Air India Crash Victim Dies from Shock

In a devastating chain of events, a grieving sister collapsed and died from shock after learning that her younger brother and his wife were among the 241 people killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash. Gomti Parmar, 65, passed away during a mourning gathering at the family’s home in Ahmedabad, just hours after the crash that claimed the lives of her brother, Bhogilal Parmar, 57, and his wife Hansa, 55.

The Parmar couple, residents of Rakhiyana village near Mandal in Ahmedabad district, were on their first trip abroad to visit their son and pregnant daughter-in-law in the UK. Their flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, slammed into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport on 12 June, killing all but one on board and causing further casualties on the ground.

Before the family could come to terms with the crash, they were struck by Gomti’s sudden death. Her son, Sagar, shared how deeply affected she was by the news. “My mother shared an incredibly strong bond with my uncle,” said Sagar, a resident of Vaghala near Patdi in Surendranagar. “Learning about the accident and discovering virtually no one survived was too much for her heart to bear,” he added.

Gomti’s last rites were held on Friday, heartbreakingly, before those of her younger brother. Hansa’s body has been formally identified, but Bhogilal’s remains are still awaiting DNA confirmation. His daughter Pinki has provided a sample to help identify her father. “We’ll conduct their final rites together once both bodies are returned to us,” Sagar added.

The Parmars had long dreamed of travelling abroad. Their son had invited them to the UK ahead of the birth of his first child this week. That dream ended in tragedy, leaving behind not only a grieving family but also a newborn who will never meet their grandparents.​