Air India plane crash: For Ahmedabad man, son’s surprise visit turns out to be his last

Anil Patel was a happy man when he dropped his son and daughter-in-law off at the airport after their surprise visit to the city, little did he know it would be the last time he would see them alive.

Patel’s son Harshit and daughter-in-law Puja were among the 242 people on board the London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a complex of a medical college in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

He is now waiting for a DNA match to collect their remains from the hospital.

The couple, who lived in the UK, had come to Ahmedabad after two years to surprise Patel.

Harshit moved to the UK for better prospects and was working with an e-commerce company. Both fell in love in college and got married later.

“They came 10 days ago to surprise me," Patel said as he broke down.

He said Puja had suffered a miscarriage and wanted to consult a doctor in India.

Patel, a widower, also has a married daughter living in the Naroda area of the city.

“I saw them off at the airport. I left after they went inside. I only got to know about the crash from the news," he said.

Patel has given his DNA sample and is waiting for a call from the hospital about the remains of his son and daughter-in-law.

India