A 70-year-old woman, Sharlaben Thakor, and her two-year-old granddaughter, Abhyaben Thakor, went missing after the Air India flight crashed near the canteen area of BJ Medical College. Sharlaben was a cook at the college canteen and had been preparing meals daily for doctors and students for several years. Following the crash, Sharlaben’s son, Ravi Thakor, and daughter-in-law, Lalita, rushed to the site on Thursday to search for them but were unable to locate either. On Friday, Ravi provided a blood sample for a DNA test to help identify victims.
Speaking with mid-day, Ravi Thakor said, “I was at work, and my mother was working in the college canteen. She has been a cook there for many years. Just a few minutes before the crash, my mother sent me a video of her playing with my daughter. I was so happy watching it. But moments later, I received a call informing me that a plane had crashed into the canteen area and exploded. I rushed to the spot and found everything destroyed.”
He added, “A large part of the canteen was completely burned due to the blast and fire. I went to the hospital and checked, but so far, no child’s body has been recovered from the debris. Doctors told me that some of the children`s bodies were completely charred in the incident. I am extremely worried about my daughter and my mother. I’m still holding on to hope — they might be alive. I’m waiting for a miracle.”
