Air India crash families still waiting for answers

A man who lost his wife in the Air India crash a year ago has said he does not want money, he just wants the truth about what caused it.

Nusratjahan Jethara, from Leicester, was among 260 people who died when the London-bound Flight 171 went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in India on 12 June 2025.

Her husband, Mohammed Shoeb Iproliya said he struggled to sleep and when he closed his eyes he would find himself asking why the tragedy happened.

With the crash investigation still under way, a spokesperson for Air India said: "We stand in solidarity with the families and communities affected and remain united in mourning those we have lost."

Following the crash, Air India confirmed all passengers and crew were killed - including 169 Indian nationals and 52 British nationals - apart from one survivor.

However an official report on the cause of the disaster is yet to be published.

"We don't want any money, anything, nothing, we need the truth - why it happened and who's responsible," Iproliya said.

He said Jethara was his "whole life" and a "happy girl" who enjoyed travelling to beaches as well as spending time with friends, and described how they had dreams of starting a family and buying a house in the UK.

"It is a very difficult day, 12th of June, 2025. I never forget that day," said the 32-year-old.

He recalled receiving a phone call from his wife that morning where she told him "I miss you" and from the runway she reminded him to meet her at Gatwick Airport.

He said in response: "OK, no problem, have a safe journey."

Upon hearing the news the plane had crashed he said he was "not conscious" and friends had to throw water over him.

He said he flew to India and to check bodies at the hospital to identify Jethara and said his right hand still shakes from doing so.

Iproliya said he is now after just one thing - the "truth only".

Investigators have yet to publish their final findings into the cause of the crash.

A preliminary report into the incident from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found both of the plane's fuel switches moved to the "cut-off" position "immediately" after take-off, stopping fuel supply to the engine.

Pragna Devji's parents Devji Lacmane and Vanita Cana were also killed in the crash.

"My mum called me every day. After this accident, I'm just waiting for my mum's call, she said. "I'm missing so much, both of them."

Her husband Ashvin Dhiru told the BBC that Devji Lacmane had worked in a shop in Leicester and was regarded him as a "very kind" man - with customers asking about him when they had not seen him.

"If people ask for any kind of help, like money-wise or any other help, work-wise, he was always happy to help," he said.

Dhiru added now "every single" time the couple saw an aircraft overhead they thought about the crash.

He told the BBC the couple want the report into the crash to be released and hopes it will prevent future accidents.

"We need to know the final reports, how it happened, and for the future, what they are going to improve on," he said.

"We lost our loved ones, no-one else can suffer from that kind of situation."

Faizan Rafik from Leicester, was another passenger who lost their life in the tragedy.

"We miss Faizan every single day, every single moment," said his cousin Sameer Rafik.

"Every single day is mess in our life. It's like we're keeping a fake smile on our faces."

He told the BBC there were "so many ups and downs" in Faizan's life but described him as a "very happy guy" and said he had not "seen him sad in the last five years".

"There is not even a single negative point we can remember about Faizan. It's always a positive thing," he said.

The 28-year-old called for the "perfect report" to be released into how the plane crashed.

"I want an action on that - whose fault it is. Both pilots were experienced enough -they can't just crash the flight because of the thermal issues - I don't think so.

"I need a proper answer from the Air India and from the government. What is the actual issue?"

A spokesperson for Air India said: "One year on, the memory of the AI171 tragedy continues to be deeply felt across Air India.

"We stand in solidarity with the families and communities affected and remain united in mourning those we have lost.

"Supporting those impacted with care and compassion has been our priority, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to them."

Additional reporting by Dan Hunt

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