Faces of the innocent lives wiped out in an instant: The British victims of Air India plane crash - from widower fulfilling late wife's wishes to newly-engaged couple

Daily Mail​

9 hours ago

There were 242 people on board the Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed on June 12, leaving just one survivor.
Air India said that there were 169 Indian passengers on board, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian, as well as 12 crew members.
At least 38 people were also killed on the ground as the doomed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area moments after takeoff.
British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40 from Leicester, was named one week ago as the sole survivor of the crash, and was discharged from hospital to be a pallbearer at the funeral of his brother, who was also on the flight.
Relations of the 51 Britons also on board have since paid tribute to the nurses, teachers, lovers, parents, children and friends whose lives were tragically cut short last week.
In memoriam, these are the names and stories of the 52 Britons who lost their lives on June 12.
Debris from Flight AI171 after it crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad last Thursday
Vishwash's brother Ajaykumar who accompanied him on the flight and was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J, but sadly perished
Arjun Patoliya, 37
Arjun Patoliya, from Edgeware in London, had travelled to India to fulfil his late wife's final wishes, scattering her ashes in a river in the village where they both grew up.
Bharatiben Patel, known as Bharti, 43, had died just three weeks before the crash.
Their two children, aged four and eight, were left orphaned after Mr Patoliya was killed.
Mr Patoliya had studied at Liverpool John Moores University and worked as a furniture designer.
Akeel Nanabawa, 36
Akeel Nanabawa, from Gloucester, was flying home from a five-day family celebration in Gujarat with his wife, Hannaa Vorajee, and their four-year-old daughter, Sara, when Flight171 crashed.
The young couple ran a global recruitment agency with offices in Ahmedabad and Gloucester.
They were 'widely loved and deeply respected', their family said in a statement after the tragedy.
Hannaa Vorajee, 30
Ms Vorajee, wife of Akeel Nanabawa, ran a global recruitment agency with her husband, volunteered at a local Islamic school and was a director for a company promoting understanding of Islam.
The couple's business partner, Shoyeb Khan Nagori, told MailOnline that 'Akeel and his wife were extremely successful people'.
Ms Vorajee was a trained midwife.
Sara Nanabawa, 4
Sana Nanabawa was the four-year-old daughter of Akeel Nanabawa and Hannaa Vorajee.
She died on the week of her fifth birthday and was described by teachers as a 'ray of sunshine' who 'lit up the classroom'.
'His [Akeel's] quiet generosity, her [Hannaa's] warmth and kindness, and their daughter's [Sara's] bright, joyful spirit made a lasting impact on everyone who knew them,' Imam Abdullah told the BBC.
Raxa Modha
Raxa Modha, who ran a restaurant in Wellingborough, was travelling to England with her daughter-in-law and two-year-old grandson, Rudra, for a memorial service for her late husband at the time of the crash.
Kishan Modha – Rudra's father and Raxa's son – had also been in India but was not on the flight. He was due to fly the next day.
Jay Bapodra, a family friend, told the BBC: 'Raxa was very loving. She did a lot for the local community, especially from a charitable perspective - both here and in India.
'She was just one of those characters where she'd walk into a room and light it up.'
Rudra Modha, 2
It was the first time young Rudra was travelling to the UK, Mr Bapodra told the BBC.
They were hoping for him to meet the family in Britain.
Yasha Kamdar
Yasha Kamdar, Raxa's daughter-in-law, was also on the flight.
The Modha family said in a statement: 'It is with deep sadness that we have lost three members of our family.
'Raxa Modha, Yasha Kamdar and Rudra Modha lost their lives on flight AI 171 on 12 June. Our hearts are broken. We are at a complete loss.'
Abdhiben (Abdhi) Patel, 40
Abdhi Patel, from Northampton, was returning to the UK after caring for her elderly mother in India when Flight 171 crashed.
She was a manager at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton.
Colleagues described her as a 'kind soul' who 'brought light to every room, strength to every challenge, and kindness to every moment.'
She leaves behind her husband, Pankaj Patel, and their young 8 year old son, Meer, who are now facing a future filled with immense grief and uncertainty, a fundraising page reads.
Maghaben Patel
Maghaben Patel was flying home with her sister at the time of the crash.
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek and husband Jamie lived in London and ran a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called the Wellness Foundry.
Fiongal had appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year to speak about their Ramsgate business.
Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, 45
The families of the couple said they were 'beyond devastated' by the news. The pair had been in India on holiday.
Manish Babu, 46
Manish Babu had spent three months caring for his ailing father in India before the crash.
After his father passed away, Manish decided it was time to return home to Leicester, his home of 25 years, his cousin told LeicestershireLive.
His family paid tribute to a 'very kind man'.
Inayatali Saiyedmiya Saiyed, 48, and Nafisa Saiyed, 46
Inayatali Saiyed was returning to the UK with family after travelling to Ahmedabad to celebrate Eid.
He was joined by his wife, Nafisa, daughter, Taskin, and son, Waquee Ali.
Inayatali's wife, Nafisa, was also killed on Flight171.
Taskin Saiyed, 25
Taskin Saiyed was returning to the UK with her family at the time of the crash.
She worked as a doctor.
Waquee Ali Saiyed, 22
Waquee Ali Saiyed joined his family on the trip to Ahmedabad to celebrate Eid.
The 22-year-old was a final year computer science student at City, University of London.
Javed Ali Syed, Mariam Syed, Zayn Ali Syed, 6, and Amani Ali Syed, 4
Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, and his wife, Mariam, were passengers on the fallen Air India Flight 171.
Mr Syed was an award winning hotelier having previously received a Team Member of the Year award while working for the Comfort Inn London in Westminster in 2017.
Mariam was the wife of Javed Ali Syed.
She worked as a brand ambassador for Burberry at Harrods and was on the plane with her husband and two children at the time of the crash.
Amani Ali Syed was Javed Ali Syed's young daughter. Zayn Ali Syed was his son.
Adnan Master, 30
Adnan Master was visiting relatives with his wife and 11-month-old baby at the time of the crash.
He is believed to have travelled back on his own.
Ashwin Harrington, 27
Ashwin Harrington, 27, from Sudbury, Suffolk, was described by close friend Connor Mann, 27, as an 'incredible guy' who 'made us all constantly laugh and smile with his infectious laugh'.
'He was loved and adored by all of his family and friends and it's a hole that will never be filled because he was such a huge part of all our lives,' he told the BBC.
Mr Harrington was due to compete in a Total Warrior obstacle course with Mr Mann in Leeds.
Manjuben Maheshbhai Patel, 79
Manjuben 'Manju' Patel had been staying in the city while doing charity work at a temple, her son told Sky News.
Ms Patel was on her way back to the UK to continue her volunteer work at a Hindu Temple in Queensbury, North West London.
Volunteers there said she will be a huge loss to the community.
She was sitting one row behind Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the crash, he said.
Lawrence Daniel Christian, 30
Lawrence Christian had flown to India to bury his father.
His mother, Ravina Christian, lost her husband, Daniel, in May to heart-related complications, and their son was the only bread-winner in the family.
Lawrence had taken a final photo with his mum outside the airport.
Christian's grandmother, Salvina Christian, said: 'We have lost everything, the three of us have been left here.
'Our strength, our pride, everything has gone. We have lost the light of our home.'
Kamleshbhai Chaudary, 27, and Dhapuben Chaudary
Kamlish, who lived in London, was killed on June 12 while flying home with his wife, Dhapuben.
He was described as 'a very hardworking young man' by former colleagues and 'the sole breadwinner for his family in Ahmedabad'.
Kamlish had flown to India in December 2024 to get married before returning to London to arrange for his wife's visa.
He was said to have been 'overjoyed' when it was accepted and rushed out on June 3 to prepare for their journey back to London together.
Kamlish and his wife both sadly died together on June 12.
Dhir Baxi
Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their early 20s, were sisters with ambitions to 'roam around the world', their family said.
They were returning home to London after a trip to India to surprise their grandmother for her birthday.
Dhir was a designer for a degree in fashion design.
Heer Baxi
Heer worked as a project leader in the investment and renewable energy sector.
She had previously worked in Singapore, where the sisters are believed to have spent their childhood.
Dr Prateek Joshi
Dr Prateek Joshi was a Consultant Radiologist who worked at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton.
His colleagues paid tribute to a 'dedicated and talented colleague and his family'.
Dr Rajeev Singh, Consultant Radiologist and Clinical Director for Imaging at UHDB, said: 'Prateek was full of joy, he was a wonderful man, friend, husband and father, and an exceptional Radiologist who was highly respected in his field.
'He approached everything with a smile, radiated positivity and had a great sense of humour.
He moved to Derby, from India, in 2021, quickly becoming a beloved colleague, he said.
'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District.'
Dr Komi Vyas
Dr Komi Vyas was killed while travelling back with her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi, and their children, Nakul, Pradyut and Miraya.
Renjitha Gopakumaran Nair, 40
Renjitha Gopakumaran Nair was a nurse who had only recently resigned from her job in Portsmouth to move back to India with her two children, 12 and 15, and elderly mother.
She was planning to start work as a nurse in Kerala and had already set a date for a housewarming party at her new home.
'She was a very humble person with a smile on her face all the time,' former colleague Leena Furtado told the BBC.
Adam Taju, 72
Adam Taju, 72, and his wife Hasina, 70, were flying home with their 51-year-old son-in-law Altafhusen Patel at the time of the crash.
Hasina Taju, 70
Their granddaughter, Ammaarah Taju, described the couple as the 'foundation of our family'.
'We wish we had the chance to tell you one last time just how much we love you, to thank you for everything you did for us,' Ammaarah said in a tribute with her three sisters.
Altaf Patel, 51
Altafhusen Patel lived in London with his wife, Shamim.
Hardik Avaiya and Vibhooti Patel
Hardik Avaiya and Vibhooti Patel had travelled to India to celebrate their engagement.
My Avaiya worked in a warehouse.
Vibhooti, who was with her finace at the time of the crash, was a physiotherapist, friends said.
The couple lived next to Manish Babu, who also died in the crash, LeicestershireLive reports.
Hardik Avaiya, 27, and Vibhooti Patel, 28, from the Belgrave area, of Leicester
Faizan Rafik Attari
Faizan Rafik Attari, from Leicester, was described in a tribute on Facebook as a 'kind soul, devoted to his faith, and loved by all who knew him'.
'His presence brought warmth and calm, and his dedication to knowledge and deen was truly inspiring.'
Faizan was 'loved by all who knew him', a tribute on Facebook read
Nurat Jahar, 29
Nurat Jahar, 29, and her husband Sohail Oproyaliya had gone to Gujarat to see family in May and were returning home to the UK at the time of the crash.
Nurat's husband had returned home to Leicestershire a week earlier for work.
She had called her husband minutes before take-off to say she would be home soon.
Nurat was returning home to her husband in Leicestershire
Elcina Alpesh Makwana, 42
Elcina Alpesh Makwana was travelling home to London on June 12.
She had called her parents before take-off to tell them that she had boarded safely and would call them again once she landed.
'That call never came,' her uncle Joseph Patelia told The Telegraph.
'She vanished just like that, leaving us in shock, in tears, unable to believe what we were hearing.'
Mrs Makwana previously ran a telecoms business with her husband. She was in India for dental treatment and to spend time with her parents.
Elcina Alpesh Makwana was spending time with her parents in India
Panna Nagar
Panna Nagar was an Ofsted inspector and former headteacher of the Northfleet Nursery School in Gravesend.
The school described Ms Nagar as a 'guiding light' and 'inspiration' for the children and staff whose lives she touched.
She was flying home after a visit to India.
Panna Nagar, a former headteacher, died in the Air India disaster on June 12
Ketan Shah, 43
Ketan Shah, who lived in Southbourne in Dorset, was travelling home when the Air India flight crashed.
The 43-year-old ran a village community store in Shipton Bellinger and had travelled to India to see his sick father.
He is survived by his wife, Megha, and his teenage son and daughter.
Ketan Shah had lived in Dorset for more than a decade and ran a local shop
Ramesh Hirji Hirani
Ramesh Hirji Hirani, a husband and father who lived in Kingsbury, was travelling alone to Gatwick at the time of the crash.
His uncle described him as a 'charitable' and 'friendly' person.
Ramesh Hirji Hirani, who lived in Kingsbury, was travelling alone on Flight171 when it crashed
Ashok Patel
Ashok Patel, a financial advisor, lived with his wife, Shobhana, in Orpington, Kent.
They had two sons and two grandchildren.
The couple were both full of life and never gave up when times were tough, their eldest son, Miten, told the BBC.
Shobhana Patel
Shobhana Patel, a retired microbiologist, was killed with her husband, Ashok on Flight171.
Miten, their eldest son, told the BBC: 'We were so fortunate and so proud to have been given them as our parents.
'We will miss them every day and make sure the kids remember the good times with Baa and Dada.'
Ashok Patel, a financial adviser, and Shobhana Patel, a retired microbiologist, were living in Orpington, Kent
Hemaxi Shantilal, Girish Lagli, Aadiv and Taksvi Girish
Hemaxi Shantilal, from Wembley, was on board the London-bound flight with her husband, Girish Lagli, and their young children, Aadiv and Taksvi Girish, when the plane crashed.
It is believed the family were sat in row 30 of the flight with Taksvi sitting on an adult's lap, the BBC reports.
Ajay Ramesh
Ajay, the brother of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the flight, was sitting just a few seats away from his sibling when the plane crashed.
Vishwash Kumar was discharged from hospital and able to attend the funeral of his brother as a pallbearer after escaping the flight with relatively minor injuries.
The funeral for Ajay Ramesh in Gujarat on Wednesday
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh (pictured) attended the funeral of his brother as a pallbearer
Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, miraculously survived the plane disaster. Pictured: Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) meeting with Vishwash Kumar Ramesh in an Ahmedabad hospital