The tragic Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad today has claimed the life of Ranjitha Gopakumaran, a 42-year-old nurse from Pathanamthitta district in Kerala. Ranjitha was among the 242 individuals on board Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Pathanamthitta District Collector Prem Krishnan S confirmed Ranjitha’s death, stating that her identity was verified after cross-referencing all available details. Ranjitha, a native of Pullad village, had been working as a nurse in the United Kingdom and was on her way back to the UK when the accident occurred.
According to panchayat member Johnson Thomas, Ranjitha had only returned home from the UK three days ago on a short leave. Her visit was primarily to oversee the construction of her new house. “She got the job of a nurse in the state health service, but had come home on a short leave to oversee the construction of her new house,” Thomas explained.
He added, “She planned to return to Kerala and work with the state health service.” Ranjitha had moved to the UK approximately a year ago with plans to complete her job contract there before returning to Kerala to work with the state health service.
Prior to her stint in the UK, she had worked as a nurse in Oman for eight years. Her husband, Vineesh, had also worked in Oman before returning to Kerala, while Ranjitha continued her career abroad.
The fateful journey began on Wednesday when Ranjitha left her home by train to Kochi, from where she flew to Ahmedabad to catch the London-bound Air India flight.
Ranjitha is survived by her husband, Vineesh, their two school-going children, Rithika and Induchoodan, and her mother, Thulasi. Her untimely demise has cast a pall of gloom over her native village and the wider Kerala community.
Family member pleads
As emergency services responded to the crash site, a scene of raw anxiety unfolded at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. Distraught family members, desperate for any update on their loved ones, converged at the hospital, creating a palpable sense of urgency and despair.
Amidst the growing crowd, a man was seen breaking down, pleading with authorities to allow him access to the hospital, his anguish evident.