Dr. Prateek Joshi, the 43-year-old radiologist who died with his young family in the Air India plane crash that killed at least 279 people, was cherished by all staff members, and the loss has “ripped a hole in the department” and “left a profound void,” according to his hospital colleagues.
“Part of the tragedy is he was getting better and better, and we will never know what he could have achieved, what he could have given to the community,” Manog Ramtohal told BBC News on 14 June, adding that he was always willing to help and nothing was too much trouble. “He always worked with politeness, generosity, courtesy, and good manners. I don't think we will ever get over it.”
During his four years working in the U.K., Dr. Prateek Joshi developed a love of walking in the Peak District in central England and eating fish and chips. Photo courtesy of UHDB.
“Kind, happy-go-lucky clinician who really knitted the department together,” Gisela Robinson, executive chief medical officer at Royal Derby Hospital, told the BBC. "It is clear how cherished he was by all of his colleagues and it has ripped a hole in the department."
Joshi approached everything with a smile, radiated positivity, and had a great sense of humor, Dr Rajeev Singh, consultant radiologist and clinical director for imaging, said in a tribute article posted by the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust.
“It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way,” he noted. “His passing has left a profound void, not only in his professional contributions but in the warmth and spirit that he gave to the world every day.”
Joshi's wife, Dr. Komi Vyas, a pathologist, had recently resigned from her job at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur, Rajasthan, to join her husband in the U.K. Their 8-year-old daughter Miraya and twin 5-year-old sons, Nakul and Pradyut, were also on board the flight.
“We are privileged that Prateek chose to give his skills, talent, and knowledge to the NHS, and he will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him,” said Stephen Posey, chief executive of the UHDB NHS Foundation Trust.
The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), of which Joshi was a fellow, has also extended its condolences in a short message. “We are deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Prateek Joshi, consultant radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital, his wife, and their three young children were on board the Air India flight that tragically crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad for London on Thursday (12 June). Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and colleagues, and all those who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy.”
A loss of engine power is emerging as the most likely cause of the crash, according to media reports on 16 June. The Indian government has given the air disaster experts 90 days to complete their investigation.
A student who was booked on the Air India flight missed boarding the plane by 10 minutes due to traffic, the Guardian has reported. Bhoomi Chauhan, a Bristol-based business administration student, was turned away by airline staff after arriving at Ahmedabad airport less than an hour before the flight was due to depart (theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/13/bristol-student-missed-boarding-air-india-flight-due-to-traffic).
