Families in the UK affected by last year’s Air India crash are seeking clarity, answers and transparency as they try to move forward with their lives, a community leader and crisis management adviser has said.
Sanjiv Patel is based in Leicester, a city with a large Gujarati community and home to several families affected by the 2025 crash of the London-bound AI171 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
The incident claimed 260 lives, including 241 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 19 people on the ground.
Speaking to PTI to mark the first anniversary of the crash, Patel recalled the shock and devastation that engulfed the close-knit community miles away.
“Leicester is a very tight community, very close and as we woke up to the news, it took us all into a state of shock, disbelief and devastation,” said Patel, who is in contact with several of the victim families.
“Throughout the year, families have been striving for closure, striving for a way to move forward, for clarity, for answers, and that’s what they want. They want clarity, they want answers, they want transparency, and they want to get to a stage where they can move forward,” he said.
“Many are still struggling to cope, not just from the mental trauma, but the financial trauma that it has caused, coping with day-to-day life. I don’t think that we can put a timeline to this. So many families impacted, a whole community impacted,” he said.
As a volunteer at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in the city, Patel recalled the temple becoming a focal point for multi-faith “shradhanjali” prayer meetings in the aftermath of the disaster.
“It was a tragic situation and all we wanted to do collectively was to pray for those families, to let them know there’s support there for them and to give them space. We prayed for those souls who had lost their lives and for those families to find strength in the difficult journey ahead,” he recalled.
Among those who needed emotional and psychological support was the sole survivor of the crash, Viswashkumar Ramesh, whom Patel has been assisting over the course of the year as a close family friend.
“Vishwas [Ramesh] is surviving on Universal Credit (social benefits). He is unable to leave his home without support. He is seriously traumatised still, and those scars will remain with him for a long time, if not forever,” said Patel.
“It’s so difficult to explain the extent of the damage. Each and every one of the families is going through that journey, that devastation. Viswash and his family have been devastated to an extent that is unimaginable,” he said.
He further said: “The primary focus, we felt, was to make sure that we continue the process that started in India of diagnosing, assessing him physically, psychologically and providing the sort of care that he deserves.”
“At the moment, that dialogue and support from Air India to pay for those treatments is ongoing and constructive. I am hopeful that will continue,” he said.
Air India said in a statement that it remains committed to supporting every individual impacted by the AI171 tragedy with “care and compassion” and has had “constructive and meaningful engagement” with Ramesh and his representatives.
Asked if the families may be able to move towards some form of closure at the one-year mark this week, Patel said the “wound is as raw” as it was on that fateful day in 2025.
“They want justice, they want answers, and they want whoever is there to support people like them, whether that’s the UK government or the authorities, to perhaps offer more, simply reach out,” Patel said.
He added: “And for Air India, perhaps to consider refining how they personalise their care and support. We’re hopeful about our discussions.”
Under international aviation guidelines, a final accident report is due within a year where possible, but investigations can take longer in complex cases. An interim statement is expected while the probe into the crash continues.
