21 June,2025 08:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat`s Ahmedabad. File Pic/PTI
Emotional scenes unfolded at the funeral of Air India crew member Deepak Pathak, whose mortal remains were consigned to flames at a Badlapur crematorium on Saturday, in the presence of thousands of mourners.
Pathak, aged 34, who had been serving the national carrier for the past 11 years, was among the crew members aboard the ill-fated London-bound flight which tragically crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June, as reported by PTI.
His body was formally handed over to his family members following a nine-day-long identification process, which was definitively confirmed through DNA testing.
Tears flowed freely as the coffin arrived at his residence in Rawal Complex on Ambernath-Badlapur Road. Many struggled to hold back their emotions, with heartfelt scenes unfolding among the grieving crowd gathered there.
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A large portrait of Pathak accompanied the coffin, standing as a silent tribute as mourners respectfully offered floral tributes.
The funeral procession itself witnessed an overwhelming turnout. Family, friends, neighbours, and people from all walks of life walked solemnly behind the flower-bedecked truck carrying Pathak's coffin to the Manjarli crematorium, as reported by PTI.
Pathak's family members had previously recalled that he had shared his photos on social media just before the flight took off from the Ahmedabad international airport. "He called our mother that morning and just said âgood morning'. That was the last time we heard his voice," his sister had said. "We couldn't speak often because of our schedules, but my mother and I would always talk about him."
Pathak was the third of five siblings and had married four years ago. He is survived by his elderly parents, his wife, and two married sisters.
In recent days, the last rites of several other crew members from Maharashtra involved in the same tragedy were conducted in their respective hometowns. These included Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command of the Air India plane; cabin supervisor Shradha Dhavan; senior crew member Aparna Mahadik; and crew member Maithili Patil.
According to PTI, the mortal remains of Captain Sabharwal, Ms Dhavan, and Ms Mahadik were cremated at crematoriums in suburban Chakala, Mulund, and Goregaon in Mumbai, respectively. Maithili Patil's last rites were performed in Raigad district.
The London-bound Air India flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed in Ahmedabad last Thursday, resulting in the loss of all but one person on board, and 29 individuals on the ground, as the aircraft tragically smashed into a medical complex.
(With inputs from PTI)
