Dr. Koni Vyas, a pathologist from Banswara, Rajasthan, had recently stepped down from her role at a private hospital. Her decision came ahead of a planned move to London, where she intended to begin a new life with her husband, Dr. Pratik Joshi, who works in the UK, and their three children—eight-year-old daughter Miraya and twin sons Pradyut and Nakul, both five.
Before boarding Air India Flight 171, the family took a photograph together inside the aircraft. The parents were seated on one side of the aisle, the children on the other. It was a moment of joy and anticipation.
That image would become a heartbreaking reminder of what was lost. Just minutes after takeoff, the flight crashed, leaving devastation in its wake.
According to family members in Banswara, after resigning from her job at the Pacific Hospital, Koni had been excitedly preparing for the journey for a month. According to relatives, Joshi, a radiologist, had been working in London for the last four years and was similarly looking forward to a life with his family there. His father was also a radiologist who ran a renowned sonography centre in the city, while his sister is an engineer.
While the children studied in Udaipur, Dr. Koni Vyas had been staying in Banswara as their visas were still under process, her cousin Nayan Joshi said.
The couple, who got married nearly a decade ago, had been living apart due to work commitments. Dr. Pratik Joshi had returned from London just three days before the crash to take his family back with him.
“They left for Ahmedabad on Wednesday to take the flight to London,” Nayan Joshi said. Several members of Koni’s family had accompanied them to the airport to see them off before the journey; now, they are in the process of identifying the bodies. Koni, relatives said, is survived by two sisters and a brother.
So far, authorities have confirmed that 11 people from Rajasthan were on the plane.
