Couple and 4-Year-Old Daughter Were Victims on Deadly Air India Crash, Family Confirms
A couple and their little girl died after the fatal Air India flight crashed on Thursday, June 12
"The news of this tragic incident has left us devastated," the family said in a statement
The couple were active volunteers in their U.K. neighborhoodA couple and their 4-year-old daughter were among the at least 249 victims who died after a London-bound plane crashed shortly after takeoff in India.
Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their daughter, Sara Nanabawa, were coming back to England from a surprise trip to India when the tragic accident occurred on Thursday, June 12. Now, the family they left behind is 'devastated,' the BBC, ITV News and South Wales Argus reported.
'We are heartbroken as we await further information regarding our beloved family members,' the couple's family said in a statement shared with the BBC. 'The news of this tragic incident has left us devastated, and we are still coming to terms with the enormity of what has happened."
The Air India plane left Ahmedabad in western India on the afternoon of Thursday, June 12, and was headed to London's Gatwick Airport, Air India confirmed.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, told the Associated Press that the jet slammed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar just after taking off at 1:38 p.m. local time.
It's unclear what caused the crash.
Twelve crew members and 230 passengers were on board at the time of the crash, Air India said. Only one person who had been on board the plane survived. At least eight people on the ground also died, officials told the BBC.
A relative of Hannaa's, Hussain Vorajee, told the BBC that the family is 'saddened' to have lost such 'beautiful souls.'
"She was a lovely girl, the community is shocked, not just in Gloucester but across the country,' Vorajee continued. "A very young family has been taken from us, this is something that we've never witnessed, something that has affected so many families.'
In a tribute on LinkedIn, Imam Abdullah Samad said that he worked with Hannaa, who was a director at Peace Inclusion. The nonprofit helps create opportunities and inclusive spaces for religious and racial minorities, according to its website.
The organization and Samad did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
"She could find beauty in the smallest details and was fiercely committed to doing things right," wrote Samad, adding that Hannaa "was a massive advocate to ensure we built bridges, and that our beautiful religion was understood better."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The couple, who lived in Gloucester, were active volunteers in the community, according to Yahoo News. They were incredible parents, Samad wrote of the couple.
"Together, they were the perfect team — raising a daughter who carried their light in every way," eh said. "She was bubbly, bright, and the centre of their world. They were absolutely devoted to little Sara, making sure she was always one step ahead, all the time. "
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Death toll in Air India plane crash climbs to 270 as search teams find more bodies on the ground
Search and recovery teams continued scouring the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters for a third day after the Air India flight fell from the sky and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state, officials said Saturday. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Recovery teams working until late Friday found at least 25 more bodies in the debris, officials said. 8 Caskets carrying the remains of some of the victims of Thursday's Air India plane crash are loaded onto a vehicle to be transported to their respective homes at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, June 14, 2025. AP Dr. Dhaval Gameti at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told The Associated Press the facility had received 270 bodies, adding that the lone surviving passenger was still under observation for some of his wounds. 'He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,' Gameti said Saturday. Hundreds of relatives of the crash victims have provided DNA samples at the hospital. Most bodies were charred or mutilated, making them unrecognizable. Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process was taking too long. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching, and they are expediting the process. 8 Search and recovery teams continued scouring the site of one of India's worst aviation disasters for a third day after the Air India flight crashed and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state. AFP via Getty Images 'Where are my children? Did you recover them?' asked Rafiq Abdullah, whose nephew, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren were on the flight. 'I will have to ask questions. Government is not answering these questions.' Another relative persistently asked hospital staff when his relative's body would be handed over to the family for the last rites. 'Give us the body,' the relative insisted. 8 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) visiting Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor in an Air India plane crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India's western state of Gujarat, June 13, 2025. Xinhua/Shutterstock Alongside the formal investigation, the Indian government says it has formed a high-level, multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes leading to the crash. The committee will focus on formulating procedures to prevent and handle aircraft emergencies in the future and 'will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations,' the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Read more on the Air India plane crash Authorities have begun inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, Indian Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Saturday in New Delhi at his first news briefing since Thursday's crash. Eight of the 34 Dreamliner aircraft in India have already undergone inspection, Kinjarapu said, adding that the remaining aircraft will be examined with 'immediate urgency.' 8 Officials inspect the site of Thursday's Air India plane crash on the roof of a building in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, June 13, 2025. AP 8 The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff. Press Information Bureau HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The government is eagerly awaiting the results of the crash investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, and all necessary steps will be taken without hesitation, Kinjarapu said. Investigators on Friday recovered the plane's digital flight data recorder, or the black box, which was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and likely will lead to clues about the cause of the accident. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it had started working with 'full force' to extract the data. 8 A man gestures angrily as he waits for the bodies of four relatives who died in the Air India plane crash, at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India, Saturday, June 14, 2025. AP The device is expected to reveal information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will provide cockpit conversations, said Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Aviation safety consultant Jeff Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for both the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, said investigators should be able to answer some important questions about what caused the crash as soon as next week, as long as the flight data recorder is in good shape. Investigators likely are looking at whether wing flaps were set correctly, the engine lost power, alarms were going off inside the cockpit, and if the plane's crew correctly logged information about the hot temperature outside and the weight of the fuel and passengers, Guzzetti said. 8 Some relatives expressed frustration Saturday that the process of identifying the victims was taking too long. AP 8 A relative of a victim of Thursday's Air India plane crash is comforted as he breaks down at a hospital in Ahmedabad, India. AP Mistakes in the data could result in the wing flaps being set incorrectly, he said. Thursday's Air India crash involved a 12-year-old Boeing 787. Boeing planes have been plagued by safety issues on other types of aircraft. There are currently around 1,200 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft worldwide, and this was the first deadly crash in 16 years of operation, according to experts.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
India launches inspection of Boeing 787s after Air India crash
STORY: India's government is urgently inspecting all Boeing 787s, after a devastating Air India crash that claimed at least 270 lives this week. That's according to aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who led a moment of silence for those who died in the disaster at a press conference on Saturday. He added that the authorities were investigating all possible causes. On Friday, the aviation regulator ordered Air India to conduct additional maintenance checks on its Boeing 787-8 and 9 aircraft equipped with GEnx engines. :: File Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s, and rival airline IndiGo has one, according to data from Flightradar24. The planes have not been grounded. But a source on Friday told Reuters the Indian government was considering that as an option. Air India and the Indian government are looking at several aspects of the crash, including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for Britain's Gatwick Airport with 242 people on board began losing height seconds after take-off on Thursday. It then erupted in a fireball as it hit buildings below, in what has been the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Only one of the passengers and crew onboard survived, while others were killed as the plane struck a medical college's hostel as it came down. The crisis has cast a shadow on Air India, which has for years struggled to rebuild its reputation and revamp its fleet. Meanwhile, anxious family members await news of their loved ones, with some hoping to collect the bodies of those killed in the crash. Some say they have been told by authorities that it will take 72 hours for DNA profiling. Imtiaz Syed Ali says his brother was on the flight when it crashed. He says he came to give a DNA sample to help identify those who died, but added he does not trust the process. "I have this mental urge to see the body of my deceased brother," he says. "That is when I will accept that this is my brother and he is dead." Most bodies in the crash were badly charred, and authorities say they are using dental samples to run identification checks.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why King Charles Wore a Black Armband on His Uniform at Trooping the Colour
King Charles added a black armband to his Trooping the Colour uniform to honor the victims of the Air India plane crash on June 12 A moment of silence was also incorporated into the program at Horse Guards Parade A Buckingham Palace spokesperson tells people the adjustments were added "a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy"King Charles paid a solemn tribute during Trooping the Colour by wearing a black armband with his Coldstream Guards uniform. The gesture, seen during the royal procession on June 14, honored the victims of the London-bound Air India plane crash that occurred just two days earlier on June 12. Buckingham Palace announced the uniform change the day before the King's official birthday celebration, explaining that the black armband would be worn by the monarch, Prince William, Royal Mews staff in livery, and mounted officers participating in the parade. The tribute extended beyond dress. After King Charles inspected the troops and took his place on the dais at Horse Guards Parade, a moment of silence was observed before the sounding of the Last Post — a moving addition to the historic military ceremony. The adjustments were added "a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told PEOPLE. On June 12, an Air India flight heading to London's Gatwick Airport crashed minutes after takeoff in Ahmedabad in western India. CNN said that at least 290 people have now been pronounced dead, with a sole survivor (identified as a British national) saying he doesn't know "how" he survived. The King released a statement shortly after the crash to express his sympathies and the changes to the Trooping programming were announced a day later. The royal family has previously shifted things at Trooping to honor victims following tragedy, and a minute of silence was incorporated into the parade following the Grenfell Tower fire disaster in London in 2017 The King is being celebrated at Trooping the Colour, which honors the monarch's birthday each year. While the celebration is taking place on Saturday, June 14, the King won't actually mark his 77th birthday until Nov. 14. The five regiments of the Foot Guards rotate who presents their flag at Trooping the Colour each year, and the Coldstream Guards will have the honor at this year's celebration. The oldest serving regiment in the British Army and part of the Household Division, the Coldstream Guards are tasked with protecting the monarchy. They are also a military unit of which the King is Colonel-in-Chief, giving him an extra special role in this year's event. More than 1,300 soldiers of the Household Division and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery are participating in this year's Trooping the Colour, which will also feature 300-plus musicians from the Massed Bands and 250 soldiers from the Foot Guards, according to the King's Birthday Parade website. The festive celebration dates back to a different King Charles: King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685. In 1978, the parade was officially designated as the birthday celebration of the sovereign, and began to take place every year after George III took the throne in 1760. King Charles experienced his first Trooping the Colour as monarch in June 2023, when he participated in the event on horseback. The King arrived on a horse named Noble while carrying out his ceremonial duties as Colonel-in-Chief of the seven regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. The move brought back a tradition last carried out by his mother, Queen Elizabeth. The late monarch rode on her horse Burmese during Trooping the Colour in 1986, after which she arrived by carriage. In 2024, amid his cancer diagnosis and treatment, King Charles took part in the festivities in a horse-drawn carriage rather than riding on horseback. He opted to ride in a coach again this year for his third Trooping the Colour as monarch. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! King Charles attended his first-ever Trooping the Colour in 1951 when he was just three years old. That year, the ceremony was in celebration of his grandfather, King George VI. At the time, Charles arrived in a carriage with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret, while Queen Elizabeth rode horseback in the procession. Read the original article on People
