Ahmedabad: Air India Flight No. 171, en route from Ahmedabad to London, tragically crashed on June 12, 2025, in Meghaninagar. The crash claimed 241 lives out of the 242 people on board, including 12 crew members. After the initial recovery of charred bodies, officials and volunteers are now finding personal belongings and valuables in the wreckage.

At the time of the accident, the aircraft went up in flames like a fireball, turning all passengers except one to ashes. Despite the intensity of the fire, several items believed to belong to the deceased have been recovered, including passports, mobile phones, jewelry found on some bodies, and both foreign and Indian currency.

So far, partially burned passports, Indian and foreign currencies worth ₹15 lakh, jewelry valued at ₹80 lakh, wristwatches, and other high-value items have been recovered from the crash site. What’s particularly shocking is that despite the devastating fire, some passenger documents and purses were found completely intact.

BJP worker Rajesh Patel, who was among the first responders, described the atmosphere as grim. “A mobile phone found in the debris was still ringing. A laptop was also found. We recovered 80 tolas of jewelry, ₹80,000 in cash, four British passports, and a few other passports. These items have been handed over to government officials. We’ve submitted four to five bags of recovered belongings,” he said.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi shared on X (formerly Twitter) that 4–5 tolas of gold were recovered from the body of Veenaben Agheda. He assured that all valuables would be returned to the rightful families.

Police have begun returning recovered belongings, including gold ornaments, to the families. For many, these are the final physical memories of their loved ones, bringing tears during the handover.

The Airplane Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has taken over the crash site investigation, which is ongoing. Officials say more belongings continue to surface and are being cataloged. All recovered items are being deposited at Meghaninagar Police Station. DeshGujarat