While the authorities race against time to identify the victims of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad and find out what exactly caused the mishap, some 100 km away in Vadodara, coffin-maker Nelvin Rajwadi has been working non-stop to ensure the victims’ remains can be sent to their families with dignity. 

Late on Friday night, Rajwadi received an urgent order for 100 coffins. “I received a call from Air India around 10.30 pm. They asked how many coffins I had ready. I informed them that we don’t keep coffins in stock — we make them to order,” Rajwadi told Sunday mid-day.

“They explained the situation and asked me to start making 50 coffins immediately. Just 30 minutes later, the same officer called again and increased the order to 100 coffins. He also mentioned they might need up to 250-270 coffins, and further orders would follow,” he added.