When Air India Flight 171 dropped out of the sky on 12 June last year and crashed into a medical college, one of the first communities to know was a small island some 200 miles away off India’s western coast. That’s because the islanders of this former Portuguese colony received the news directly – from the lone survivor himself.
At least 15 passengers on board had connections to the island of Diu. Among the dead were seven Portuguese nationals, all from the island. With a total population of only around 50,000 spread over a 40 sq km area, it is hard to find anyone in this tight-knit community who does not know someone affected by last year’s disaster.
