Families mark a year of Air India crash with vigils and prayers

Families mark a year of Air India crash with vigils and prayers 14 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Zoya Mateen and Cherylann Mollan Roxy Gagdekar Chhara Akash Patni, 12, was among those killed on the ground when the plane fell from the sky Families of the people killed in the Air India plane crash are holding vigils and prayer meeting to mark a year since one of the country's deadliest aviation disasters. The Air India Flight 171 to London crashed seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad, slamming into a medical college and killing 260 people - 241 passengers and crew on board and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger survived. The cause of crash is still not known. On Friday, investigators provided an update on the investigation. The evidence, they said, was being "analysed in a comprehensive and integrated manner" and that a final report would be published once the investigation was over. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had said earlier in the day that the investigation was proceeding "with diligence and professionalism". "We remain committed to a thorough and objective determination of the causes of the accident and to further enhancing aviation safety," he wrote on X, offering condolences to the families. Across cities, prayer meetings, vigils and memorial services are being held. Families told the BBC that the first anniversary is a painful milestone - a reminder that while a year has passed, their grief remains undimmed. Investigation into cause of Air India crash ongoing, officials say A year after Air India crash, families still wait for answers In Ahmedabad, reminders of that day are impossible to ignore. The crash site is still cordoned off. Behind the barriers stand blackened buildings that bear the scars of the impact, while flower garlands, photographs and handwritten messages left by relatives have transformed the area into an informal memorial. On Friday, families of victims came carrying portraits of loved ones. Some bowed their heads in silent prayer; others embraced as tears flowed freely. Rajat Gupta/EPA/Shutterstock A bouquet of flowers lies on the ground at the crash site on the one-year anniversary Among them was the family of 12-year-old Akash Patni, who lost his life when the aircraft crashed near the tea stall where he was helping his family. For hours, his relatives sat on mats beneath a garlanded photograph of Akash at the crash site. Rose petals lay scattered across the ground. Behind them loomed the hollow, charred remains of the medical college hostel buildings. His mother Sitaben, who suffered severe burn injuries that day, recited Hindu hymns and prayers alongside other family members. Thursday marked the first time she had returned to the site since the crash. She spent weeks in hospital recovering from her injuries. At times, she broke down in tears as relatives gathered around to comfort her. Earlier in the day, the British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, paid her respects to t