Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Deepak Pathak, an Air India cabin crew member, wasn't supposed to be on the tragic Ahmedabad-London flight that crashed on June 12, killing at least 274 people. However, when called in for an emergency on June 11, despite being on sick leave, Deepak chose duty over rest. His family now mourns a man they describe as deeply dedicated, saying that had he declined the last-minute call, he would still be alive today.

Deepak’s two sisters travelled to Ahmedabad on Thursday. Their DNA samples were taken on Friday to help identify his remains. He was a resident of Katrap in Badlapur East and lived with his wife of four years, along with his parents. His father, Babasaheb, retired from Central Railway around 15 years ago and moved to Badlapur from Mumbai as per a TOI report.

According to Deepak’s cousin Sachin Khadtale, he had only recently been promoted to the role of cabin crew around six months ago. Most of his duties were on international routes, and he would typically return home after 10 to 15 days. Sachin added that during his recent visit, Deepak hadn’t been feeling well.

Deepak’s elder sister, Shruti, shared that he had a routine of calling his mother before every flight to inform her about his travel plans. On the day of the crash, he had done the same. He called his mother in the morning from Ahmedabad, informing her that he was departing for London. It was the last time they heard his voice.

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Initially, when news of the crash broke on Thursday afternoon, the family didn’t believe Deepak was on the flight. But when his calls went unanswered and later his phone switched off, worry set in. Their worst fears were confirmed when they saw his name in the list of cabin crew members on board.

With their parents too devastated to travel, Deepak’s sisters took charge and went to Ahmedabad.

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The crash involved a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that slammed into a residential hostel shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. The disaster claimed the lives of 274 people, including passengers, crew members, and residents in the building it hit.