Prayers across South East for India crash victims
Prayers are being held across the South East for people who died in the Air India plane crash on Thursday.
A temple in Gravesend, Kent, is holding a memorial service on Sunday to remember the victims.
President of Om Mandir Hindu Temple, Abnash Sareen, said the memorial service aims to "bring the community together".
He added: "It was absolutely tragic what happened on Thursday. When I saw the news I just couldn't believe my eyes."
The Air India flight AI171, which was bound for Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.
Air India confirmed at least 241 people died while only one survived and India's civil aviation minister has said a black box has been found at the crash site.
Mr Sareen said following the news of the crash, members of the community came to the temple on Thursday to mourn those who died.
"Many people, including myself, had tears in our eyes, we just couldn't believe what had happened," he said.
"Even if you didn't know the people who died in the crash, it is still extremely upsetting."
Mr Sareen hopes the memorial service on Sunday will help the community heal.
"We want to let people know we stick together during difficult times," he added.
Shyam Govinda, who represents the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) community in Crawley, told BBC Sussex people were "shocked" and "devastated" by the news.
"Many people are affected by it, our community especially because of the proximity of the airport to Crawley," he said.
"There is a large Gujarati community here, many of us have family members and friends in Ahmedabad so the tragedy seems a lot closer to home."
A special prayer session will be held on Sunday at 17:00 BST at the Bhakti Yoga Centre.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
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Residents said the crash sounded like a bomb blast and felt like an earthquake. India's aviation minister said a formal investigation had been opened. CCTV footage that shows the entire incident will be crucial evidence for investigators. Ramesh, from London, described seeing bodies all around him after the crash. 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' Ramesh, who still had his boarding pass, told the Hindustan Times. He said he had 'impact injuries', including bruising on his chest, eyes and feet, but was otherwise lucid and conscious. 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Footage filmed shortly after the crash showed Ramesh bloodied and limping as he walked to an ambulance. 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The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, according to Reuters. Of them, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, Air India said. Related: What we know so far about the Air India flight 171 crash Chandrasekaran said a support team had been set up for families seeking information. In a post on X, he said: 'With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight 171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. 'Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event. At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. 'We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.' 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The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said in a statement: 'The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating.' The UK Foreign Office said officials were working with Indian authorities to establish the facts around the crash and provide support to those involved. Gatwick airport officials said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of the passengers. The flight tracking website Flightradar24 said the signal from the aircraft was lost less than a minute after takeoff. In a post on X, it said: 'We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. 'We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC (shortly before 9.09am BST), just seconds after takeoff. The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB.' This is the first crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
