When Air India flight AI171 crashed near Ahmedabad on Thursday, it shattered not just homes and buildings, but dreams. One of those dreams belonged to Roshni Rajendra Songhare, a 20-something cabin crew member from Dombivli, Maharashtra, who was also a rising travel influencer on Instagram.
Roshni, admired by over 54,000 followers, had turned her passion for travel into a digital diary, regularly posting sun-kissed photos from the skies and across destinations she explored on duty. But what was once a profile full of joy and jet-setting adventures now stands frozen¡ªher final post dated just days before the crash.
Flight AI171, bound for London Gatwick, took off from Ahmedabad¡¯s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport with 242 people on board, including 12 crew members. Just minutes after takeoff, the aircraft plunged into a hostel in Meghani Nagar, claiming at least 204 lives, including five medical students on the ground. Disturbing visuals from the site show burnt debris and blackened rooms, where medical students were reportedly having lunch.
According to authorities, one British national sitting in seat 11A miraculously survived and was seen walking away from the wreckage, his escape baffling, his survival singular.
Maharashtra MLA Ravindra Chavan confirmed Roshni's passing and shared his condolences, stating that her loss as both a flight attendant and young Dombivli woman was ¡°profoundly saddening.¡± He also added that she had been a dedicated professional and her death was a ¡°heart-wrenching tragedy.¡±
For those who knew her online, she was a symbol of calm, elegance, and the thrill of taking to the skies. Now, she is one of twelve Air India staff whose service ended in an unspeakable catastrophe.
The flight was captained by Sumeet Sabharwal with First Officer Clive Kunder. Senior crew included Shradha Dhavan and Aparna Mahadik. Alongside Roshni, the other crew members were Saineeta Chakravarti, Nganthoi Kongbrailatpam Sharma, Deepak Pathak, Maithili Patil, Irfan Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, and Manisha Thapa.
As rescue teams continue to comb through the wreckage and families wait for answers, the nation mourns a young woman who once flew through the clouds, only to vanish among them.