Gujaratis hold prayer meet for crash victims
1
2
3
Kolkata: The death and devastation played in loop on TV and social media left several Kolkata homes shocked and anxious on Thursday.
Rishabh Kothari, Hindustan Club president and ex-MCCI president, was shattered.
Among the victims were his close family friends from Baroda, Neeraj Lavanya and his wife Aparna.
"My friends were on that flight, going to meet their daughter in London. It's very difficult to come to terms with this. Hundreds of flights take off everyday, but this is just fate, and bad luck. I hope authorities take appropriate actions and my prayers and condolences are with the families who lost their loved ones," he said.
Members of the Gujarati community in Kolkata held a prayer meeting at BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Bhowanipore for those killed in Thursday's flight crash. "We held a special prayer for the victims of the flight crash after Thursday evening's assembly at the temple," said Manish Jasani, a volunteer at the temple.
Kamal Parekh, chairman of Stewart Security Limited, was worried about his son, Parimal, who lives in Ahmedabad and had just flown in from Delhi.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight
elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill
Pre-Order
Undo
"Though I knew he wasn't on that plane, a sense of insecurity lingered. He assured me we would talk on Friday, but I was frantic. Thankfully, no one we know was on the flight, but the loss of any life is a tragedy."
Nafeeza Pavri, a Kolkata resident and a frequent flyer, said: "How does something like this happen, especially with all the modern aviation technology we have today? I'm supposed to travel tomorrow, and I'm already feeling the anxiety kick in.
It's heartbreaking for the victims and their families."
Management consultant Jayanta Chakraborty, who has been living in Ahmedabad since 2009 and travels frequently for work, was "deeply unsettled" by the crash. "I live around 25 km from the crash site. Currently, all flights have been suspended, and the area has been cordoned off with traffic completely blocked. This is a grave incident, and I hope an independent investigative board is appointed to probe the cause," Chakraborty said.
Pharmaceutical professional Siddhartha Sen landed in Ahmedabad on Wednesday on an IndiGo flight that reached around midnight. "Knowing how close in timing and location it was to the tragic crash fills me with a sense of fortune, as well as deep sorrow. The crash occurred in a densely populated area, which only worsens the scale of the disaster. People have been reaching out to check if I'm safe. While I'm grateful, I can't help but think of those who weren't as lucky," he said.
Residents living near the Ahmedabad airport are shaken. Shristi Vinod Pandey, an advocate at Civil Sessions Court, Ahmedabad, who lives 10 km from the crash site, said, "It could've been us. It crashed into a residential society. That's too close for comfort."
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
LOVE ACTUALLY
A few weeks ago, news surfaced of TMC MP Mahua Moitra marrying Pinaki Misra, a former BJD MP, in an intimate ceremony in Berlin on May 30. With both being significantly older – Moitra is 50 while her husband is 65 - by societal standards to walk down the aisle and that too for the second time in their respective lives, the news naturally garnered public attention. But this evolving narrative is not just limited to the elites, highlighting that love and companionship are universal desires, regardless of age or social status. Across Odisha and elsewhere in the country, more and more individuals, like divorcees, widowers and those who didn't marry in their youth, are finding love later in life. Sociologists opined that following the loss of a spouse or divorce, many seniors are actively seeking companionship, valuing the emotional support and shared experiences that come with partnership. Improved healthcare and longer life expectancies, besides changing social attitudes, have made it more acceptable for older adults to pursue new relationships. Shukadeba Naik, a retired professor of sociology of Sambalpur University, said that while remarriages in older age groups are more common among the elite, the desire for companionship transcends social classes. "Late marriages are often about seeking partners with whom one is compatible. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Classic Solitaire , Built for Desktop Play Solitaire Install Now Undo Arranged marriages used to be family-to-family relations, which meant fewer breakdowns, but now it's more individualistic and people are more open to finding new partners when relationships don't work out," he added. Take for example Shankar Sahoo, a 53-year-old employee of Rourkela Steel Plant. In 1999, Shankar married a woman, who was also a working professional, and had two daughters with her. But four years into the marriage, the couple's relationship was on the rocks and they eventually divorced in 2015. The separation agreement stipulated that Shankar would bear the educational and wedding expenses of his daughters, who stayed with their mother. Despite the emotional toll of the divorce, Shankar found solace in the support of his parents, who lived with him -- and in the company of a woman 18 years his junior whom he is now married to and who is the mother of his nine-year-old son. "After the divorce, I had decided not to marry again due to the trauma I experienced," Shankar said. But his family encouraged him to consider remarrying. Today, he has a blended family that includes his daughters as well. "My wife has brought happiness and peace not only to me but to my entire family as she accepted my daughters whole-heartedly," Shankar said. Similarly, a businesswoman, who lost her husband to dengue shortly after the birth of her daughter in 2010, gave marriage a second chance when she lost her father. "My father was a huge support system after my first husband's passing. It was him who helped me take over my late husband's business and he raised my daughter as well. After my father's passing, I felt a void, which is when my family encouraged me to consider marrying again," she said. And in 2017, through an arranged marriage set up, she exchanged vows with a man who had also lost his spouse and had a daughter as well. "I never thought I would marry again, but it was in my destiny," she said, adding, "After my second marriage, my daughter and I found a new home and happiness." Naik added that with both men and women becoming career-oriented, the average age of marriage is getting delayed for the middle class as people, who don't want to get married until they become financially independent or achieve something. Rabi Behera, a social activist from Jagatsinghpur, married just months shy of his 50th birthday. Behera's journey to matrimony was not a conventional one. Engrossed in his passion for social activism, the thought of marriage took a backseat. It wasn't until he met his current wife, Sujata Barik, at a workshop that the idea of marriage became a reality. Both Behera and Barik, a fellow social activist from Kendrapada, found common ground in their dedication to social justice and soon, they became romantically involved. "Social justice was a common issue we both worked for and we got attracted to each other and got married," Behera added. Barik echoed similar sentiments, having initially decided against marriage. "I had kind of decided that I won't get married. But when he proposed, I decided to take the plunge," she said. Today, the couple resides in Bhubaneswar and is raising their seven-year-old daughter, balancing their family life with their ongoing commitment to social causes. Anup Dash, a retired professor of Utkal University, said, " With rising cases of divorces, many are looking to remarry and age is no longer a barrier as people seek companionship and compatible partners." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Six big dreams that took off on Air India-171, but never touched down in London
After 241 people aboard the AI-171 flight lost their lives in Thursday's tragic crash, Forum Gandhi reports on the aspirations and memories that they carried with them on the London-bound plane that never reached its destination 25G Chandu Baguane Chandu Baguane had come to Ahmedabad to perform the last rites of his mother. After spending about a month with his family in Gujarat, he boarded Air India 's AI-171 to return to London , where he had been working as a labourer for the past few years. Originally from a village near Ahmedabad, Chandu had built his life around supporting his family back home. His wife continues to live in the village. 'He came here after his mother passed away. Once all the rituals were done, he was going back to his work in London,' a family member said. Chandu's visits to India were not frequent, but each time, he made it a point to be present for his family. This time, the trip ended in heartbreak. The family received the news of the crash just as they were slowly coming to terms with the earlier loss. For them, it is now a double tragedy—losing a parent and a son in the space of weeks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Vehiculele sechestrate de bănci, scoase la licitație la prețuri infime (Click pentru vizualizare) Oferte de SUV | Anunț sponsorizat Caută acum Undo 27A Sanket Atulgiri Goswami For 19-year-old Sanket Atulgiri Goswami, the Air India flight to London was a dream come true—his first time on a plane, his first step towards becoming an automobile engineer. 'I am very happy, I have boarded the flight. Look, it's very nice around me,' he told his parents in a video call, his voice full of excitement. It was the last they ever heard from him. Sanket, from Kherva village in Mehsana, was heading to London to pursue a course in automobile engineering. His family had pinned great hopes on his future. 'He was so thrilled about travelling abroad. It was his first flight ever,' said his uncle, who had come to identify Sanket's body, along with Sanket's parents. 'I've come here to recognise my brother's son's body. We never imagined this would be our reason to travel,' he said quietly 28B Lawrence Daniel Christian Live Events Just days after bidding farewell to his father, 26-yearold Lawrence Daniel Christian's journey home ended in tragedy. The only son in his family, Lawrence had flown to Ahmedabad from London on June 1 after his father's sudden death on May 29. His family in Ramol-New Maninagar said he stayed back to complete his father's final rites and the cross-keeping ceremony. 'He had just performed his father's cremation and was returning with the hope of slowly piecing life together again,' said his aunt, her voice trembling. Having lived in London for over a year and a half, Lawrence was pursuing higher studies while working part-time. His wife Ayushi, who stayed back in London, is shattered. 'She keeps saying this must be a mistake,' said a family friend. 'She's terrified of flying now and is pleading for someone from Ahmedabad to bring her home. 20 H / 20J Harshit Patel, Pooja Patel Harshit Patel and his wife, Pooja, had quietly flown into India on June 2, carrying hope and a carefully kept secret. They wanted to surprise Harshit's father, Anilbhai Patel, who had been living alone since his wife died of cancer six years ago. 'For the past two years, they have lived in Gatwick. Pooja, my daughter-in-law, had miscarried,' said Anilbhai, his voice faltering. 'They came here 10 years ago. She conceived for the first time in seven years of marriage. They came on the 2nd.' The visit was meant to heal old wounds and begin a new chapter. After years of living by himself, Anilbhai's son had convinced him to move permanently to the United States. 'They gave me a surprise visit. We shopped a lot here. They bought me a lot of gifts. We got my passport made in Tatkal. They had started my process to shift me with them because I live completely alone here, after my wife,' Anilbhai said, breaking into sobs. 32E Ankita Vasantkumar Patel 'She was glowing that day,' said Asha Patel, Ankita's sister-in-law. 'We had a beautiful send-off for her. Six cars came to drop her — her parents, her sister, our entire family. She was so excited to finally start her life with Vasant.' Ankita Vasantkumar Patel, 28, had been married for just six months. Her husband had flown back to London on December 26 to prepare for her arrival. "He was setting up everything for her. He had made plans, bought things to surprise her, he wanted her to walk into a home that felt like hers,' Asha said. The couple had known each other for only ten days before their engagement but had grown close during their year-long courtship. 'Though they were engaged for a year and married for six months, they spent merely a month together at best. Imagine their fate—they hardly got to live together,' Asha said, her voice trembling.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
DNA samples collected, it's 72-hour agonising wait for the Kamdar family to get remains
1 2 Nagpur: The agonising wait of victims' families, including the Kamdars of Nagpur, for bodies of their loved ones has now extended to 72 hours after DNA samples were collected, amidst the grief sweeping them. The samples from charred bodies will be matched with the ones collected from their kin before identifying them. A day after the crash, the anger of the Kamdars exploded over the ignorance of the maintenance staff, who may have ignored a possible technical snag in the aircraft, which was reported by the passengers of the connecting flight. "The flight came from Delhi to Ahmedabad. The ones who alighted at Ahmedabad expressed disappointment regarding the AC not working and other discomforts. These complaints were probably not attended to during the one-hour maintenance break at Ahmedabad before it took off," said Paras Kamdar, cousin of Yasha, who died in the crash along with her two-year-old son, Rudra, and mother-in-law Rakshaben. "The authorities collected samples from the victim's parents for matching. All we are getting are assurances and consolations, but what about the trust that was betrayed," he asked, adding there was a discrepancy in maintenance of the aircraft and all red flags were ignored. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Paras, who was with the grieving family, also questioned the trustworthiness of the aviation sector. "Neither the aircraft management body nor the ground staff lost their families. It's the passengers and their kin who faced this overwhelming grief," said Paras. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
