Young girls orphaned after father dies in Air India Crash fulfilling late wife's final wish

Hindustan Times

9 hours ago

Two children were orphaned when their father was killed in the Air India plane crash after travelling to scatter his wife's ashes in her homeland, according to a fundraiser for the family.
Arjun Patoliya, 37, was killed 18 days after his wife Bharti had died from cancer, the GoFundMe page to support their daughters, aged four and eight, said. The Briton had travelled to Gujarat to fulfil his wife's 'final wish'.
'Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat.' It added: 'Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised.
'Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.' Mr Patoliya worked at furniture manufacturer Inspired Elements Ltd, based in Stanmore, north-west London.
The company, which organised the GoFundMe appeal, posted a tribute on social media saying: 'We are deeply saddened to share the loss of a cherished member of our team in the recent Air India flight tragedy. 'Our hearts are heavy with grief as we come to terms with this profound loss.
'Arjun was not just a colleague but also a dear friend. His dedication, kindness, and spirit have left a lasting mark on us all'. Mr Patoliya had attended Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School in Surat, western India.
A teacher at the secondary school said on social media: 'It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our dear former student. 'This news has deeply saddened us all. Arjun was a cherished member of our Gurukul family, and his untimely departure is a great loss.'
More than 8,700 donations had been made to the GoFundMe by Saturday afternoon, including many of more than £1,000, and one of £5,000.
Money has been pledged to go towards providing a 'stable, nurturing home' for the girls and ensuring they can access education. Organisers said they will also use the donations to 'establish trusted long-term wellbeing care' and 'build a future rooted in love, healing, and opportunity.
'All funds raised will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs.'
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground.
The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press.