'If I give up searching, I might never recover': Families of air crash victims cling to hope

Imtiyaz Ali Sayed refuses to grieve.

Not when the news first broke - that his younger brother Javed, along with Javed's wife and two children, had perished in the devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

Not even now, more than 10 hours later, as the clock strikes three in the morning and he paces the sterile corridors of the hospital where their bodies lie, refusing to sit, refusing to accept.

Authorities have confirmed that only one of the 242 people aboard the London-bound flight survived. DNA testing is now underway to identify the victims.

Mr Sayed, a Mumbai-based businessman, is one of dozens of families awaiting closure after one of India's worst aviation disasters.

He says that until he sees his brother's body - or "whatever remains of it" - with his own eyes, he will keep looking for him.

"You don't understand. They were my life - if I give up now, I might never be able to recover," he says.

Then he swipes through his phone, showing pictures of his niece and nephew, including some that were taken just moments before they boarded the flight.

Mr Sayed recalls how their elder sister was meant to travel to London with Javed but couldn't get a ticket. Then he falls silent. Outside, the night deepens, the sky darkening by slow degrees.

Minutes later, he picks up his phone again - this time to show a series of messages he sent Javed after hearing about the crash.

"Look," he says, holding out the screen. "They're still getting delivered. That has to mean something, right":[]}