A poignant family selfie, brimming with hope for a new life, has become a somber symbol of the devastating Air India flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad. The photograph, taken moments before takeoff, features Dr. Pratik Joshi, his wife Dr. Komi Vyas, and their three young children, all of whom perished when the London-bound aircraft plunged into a residential area just 32 seconds after leaving the runway on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

The crash, which claimed the lives of all 242 people on board, has left a profound impact across India, particularly in Rajasthan’s Banswara and Udaipur, the hometowns of many victims, including the Joshi family.

Dr. Pratik Joshi had been building his life in London for six years. His wife, Dr. Komi Vyas, a respected physician at Pacific Hospital in Udaipur, had resigned from her position just two days before the ill-fated journey, ready to reunite her family permanently in the UK. Their children—eight-year-old Miraya and five-year-old twin boys Nakul and Pradyut—were reportedly excited for their impending relocation. A spokesperson from Pacific Hospital confirmed that Komi had indeed quit her job recently to join her husband.

Neighbors and friends described the couple as warm, aspirational, and admired for both their professional achievements and progressive values. “The entire town is grieving,” a close family friend told News18, highlighting the profound loss felt by the community.

The now-viral selfie, taken by Dr. Joshi aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, captures the parents smiling across the aisle from their beaming children. The image serves as a haunting testament to the fragility of life and the swiftness with which aspirations can be extinguished.

According to aviation experts, Air India flight AI171 struggled to gain altitude after its 1:38 p.m. local time departure, reportedly exploding into a fireball near Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar. Early findings suggest a potential engine failure. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed the plane made a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control shortly after takeoff before contact was lost.

As authorities continue to investigate the cause of the tragedy, personal stories like that of the Joshi-Vyas family underscore the immense human cost of the disaster, leaving a nation mourning and searching for answers.