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Ahmedabad Plane Crash: A simple act of service turned both heroic and tragic on June 12, when a tiffin delivery by Ravi Thakor saved the lives of around 80 doctors at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital while claiming the lives of his own mother and two-year-old daughter in the devastating Air India crash.

Thakor, who has been running a tiffin service for doctors for over 15 years, insisted on taking the lunch to the hospital that day instead of having the doctors collect it unintentionally keeping them away from the mess building where the plane crashed.

For years, the Thakor family had dedicated themselves to preparing food for the staff of BJ Medical College hostel. On the day of the tragedy, Ravi Thakor, his wife Lalita, father Prahlad, and a relative left the mess around 1 pm to deliver lunch. Their daughter Aadhya, just two years old, had pleaded to join them but was left behind due to the soaring heat and the weight of the tiffin boxes. Thakor’s mother, Sarla, stayed back to continue cooking, as per a News18 report.

“She was crying and insisted on coming with us. So, when she finally calmed down, we quietly slipped out,” Thakor recalled with deep sorrow.

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“It was our daily routine to fill the tiffin, deliver the food, wash the utensils, and prepare for the next day. But we couldn’t take Aadhya along, especially with the heavy tiffin in the heat," he added.

Just forty minutes later, at around 1:40 pm, tragedy struck. Air India Flight 171 crashed into the very mess building where Sarla and Aadhya were staying behind.

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“They were busy with their daily work. But at 1:40 pm, everything changed. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion flames and black smoke started rising. The flight had hit the mess building, the same place where I had left my mother and daughter. We rushed to the spot, but the police and others stopped us. Some doctors pointed out what might have happened,” said Thakor.

For the next two days, Ravi and Lalita clung to the hope that their loved ones might have survived. That hope shattered on Thursday morning when DNA tests confirmed the deaths of Sarla and Aadhya.

“We performed their last rites on Thursday. Our lives once revolved around serving food now, all that remains is silence," Thakor said, his voice heavy with grief.

While the police and administrative authorities continue their investigation into the crash, support has been promised to the bereaved family. What once was a life built on feeding others now bears the scars of unthinkable loss.

On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew on its way to London, crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad's Meghaninagar area. The aircraft collided with a medical complex, killing nearly all on board and 29 people on the ground. Only one passenger reportedly survived.