Family says Ontario dentist was aboard Air India flight that crashed after takeoff
The Canadian citizen believed to be on an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff is a dentist from Mississauga, Ont., her family has confirmed.
The husband of Nirali Sureshkumar Patel said she was among the 240 passengers on the London-bound flight that crashed Thursday.
Patel's dental clinic referred The Canadian Press to the husband, who said that he was in the process of booking travel to India for himself and the couple's one-year-old child.
"That was my wife," he said. "I am not in a state to speak right now."
He declined to provide his full name.
The plane crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad, a city of more than five million people in northwestern India.
Local police say there are no known survivors.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was "devastated" to learn of the crash and was receiving regular updates on the situation, confirming one Canadian was on the flight.
The prime minister added that Canadian transport officials are in close contact with their international counterparts.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash "heartbreaking beyond words."
"In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected," he said in a social media post.
A statement from King Charles said that he and Queen Camilla are "desperately shocked by the terrible events."
"Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across many nations," the King said.
The flight was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons and seven Portuguese nationals in addition to the lone Canadian, according to Air India.
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff at 1:38 p.m. local time.
Indian television news channels reported that the plane crashed on top of a medical college and visuals showed a portion of the aircraft atop the building.
The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
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