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Mumbai, June 13 (IANS) A heart-wrenching tragedy has struck a family in Mumbai, as an entire NRI household perished in the Air India Flight AI171 crash. Among the 241 passengers who lost their lives, four belonged to the family of Javed Ali, a UK citizen who had come to India for his mother’s treatment.

Javed Ali, 37, his wife Maryam Ali, 35, and their two young children - eight-year-old Zayan and four-year-old Amin - were among the victims of the devastating crash. The family had arrived in Mumbai from London just days earlier, hoping to provide medical care to Javed's ailing mother. However, their return to London after celebrating Bakra Eid turned into a fatal journey.

According to relatives, the family had been staying in Mumbai since June 6.

"He had come home after 11 years," said Javed’s brother, Saud Memon, told IANS.

"We had just celebrated his arrival. None of us could have imagined this nightmare."

Saud revealed that their mother remains unaware of the tragedy.

“Her condition is still critical, and we haven’t told her. She had suffered a cardiac arrest, and Javed came to be with her. Now, he and his entire family are gone,” he said.

“We took pictures together just before he left. He looked so happy,” Saud added.

“Our brother has gone to collect the remains. We are still in shock.”

Flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. Only one person survived. Families across India and abroad are grieving, including those who have flown in from London and Mumbai to identify the bodies of loved ones, many of whom are reported to be charred beyond recognition. DNA testing is underway to confirm identities.

Javed Ali, a UK citizen by naturalisation, had built a life in London with Maryam. A promising career, a loving family, and plans for the future - all cut short in a matter of moments.

Similar grief has emerged from Rajasthan, where a doctor couple from Banswara and their three children were also among those who died in the crash. They, too, were looking forward to a new chapter in life—now, just memories remain.

Just hours before the unimaginable happened, the family of five had taken a cheerful selfie in the aeroplane, radiating hope, love, and excitement for the journey ahead. That photo, now widely shared online, has become a haunting reminder of a future that was never to be.

The tragedy of Flight AI171 has left a deep scar across the nation, touching families from Mumbai to Banswara, and from India to London.

--IANS

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