Ahmedabad plane crash: Couple's long-awaited family reunion in the U.K. ends in tragedy
Ahmedabad-based Pinakin Shah and his wife Rupaben were looking forward to their journey to the United Kingdom, where their 30-year-old son, Rushab, had recently purchased a house in Glasgow and organised a housewarming ceremony.
The trip was especially significant for the couple, as it also marked a rare opportunity to reunite with their daughter Janaki and her two daughters. Janaki, who lives in Kuwait, was to join them in the U.K., making it a rare occasion for the entire family to come together.
However, those plans came to a tragic halt when the couple boarded the ill-fated London-bound Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon. The accident claimed 265 lives, including 241 passengers.
Pinakin Shah, 62, was employed as a manager at a box manufacturing company in Ahmedabad, while 58-year-old Rupaben was a homemaker.
Speaking to PTI, Utsav Shah, a relative, said, 'My uncles had gone to meet him [Pinakin] on Thursday morning. They greeted him [for his flight journey to London]. As most of them are old, they just met him but did not drop him at the airport.'
The Shah couple were photographed smiling together outside the airport, moments before boarding the flight, he added.
'Rushab had bought a new house [in Glasgow]. The family was excited as his Kuwait-based sister Janaki and her two grandchildren were also going to be in the U.K. Since Rushab and Janaki resided in two different countries, the coming together of the entire family was a rare occurrence,' Mr. Utsav said.
Following news of the crash, Janaki arrived in India on Thursday night and provided her DNA samples to assist in the identification process. Rushab arrived early on Friday.
'Rushab is traumatised and inconsolable. He is losing his senses because of the shock,' Mr. Utsav said.
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Time of India
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