Eleven days after the London-bound AI 171 crashed in Ahmedabad, victims’ families continue to struggle with overwhelming grief, with many displaying unexpected reactions to trauma that has left counsellors concerned.

One of the most heartbreaking cases is a 27-year-old man who lost his wife and has been unable to cry even once. The couple had married in 2024, and he had flown ahead to set up their new home in London. “I should have been with her,” the guilt-ridden man has been telling himself repeatedly, too traumatised to come to terms with the loss.

During their last conversation, his wife had told him repeatedly not to get delayed and keep her waiting at London’s Gatwick airport. “So, when he received news of the crash, he took the first available flight and reached Ahmedabad, rebuking himself for getting late. He visited the (hospital) campus for three days to complete procedures and take home her remains for last rites. He did not cry, could not cry rather, even once,” said a counsellor at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. Hospital authorities have appointed 10 counsellors – primarily experienced psychiatrists – to help families cope with the deaths of loved ones.

Urvika Parekh, one of the counsellors, recounted breaking the news to a seven-year-old girl. “She had come to give DNA samples for identification of remains. The family could not break the news to her. Some families have lost multiple family members. The void is hard to fill,” Parekh said.

The counsellors have encountered several instances of families unable to return to normal lives. A senior citizen who lost four family members has not gone back home. “The emptiness of the house is too overwhelming for him, so he has been staying with a close relative for the time being. The same is true for several families as they have just held the last rites of their dear ones and are now finding it difficult to envision life without them,” she said.

Parekh explained the seven stages of grief – shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression, the upward turn, reconstruction, and acceptance. Disha Vasavada, another psychiatrist and counsellor said, “It is tougher to cope with the loss of a child than a parent. In many instances, it may take days or weeks to process the trauma.”

The counsellors will stay in touch with families. “Some relatives gained composure initially but could not hold themselves back when the coffins were handed over. The first few days were spent making arrangements, but when reality sets in, hand-holding is necessary,” she said. The psychiatrists drew parallels with early Covid deaths, where relatives were not allowed to see the deceased one last time, causing dissonance for those seeking closure.