Mother of two is first British Air India crash victim released to family
The first body of a British Air India crash victim has been released to her family.
A funeral was held on Sunday for 'sweet' and 'gentle' mother of two Elcina Alpesh Makwana, 42, just three days after she told her parents not to worry as she boarded the flight to Gatwick Airport.
Mrs Makwana, who was visiting India for dental work, is the first of 53 British nationals to die in the crash whose remains were returned by authorities.
Family described Mrs Makwana, who lived in Hounslow, London, as 'a gentle soul' and incredibly hard-working. Her body was formally identified through DNA testing and taken to Pensionpora Cemetery Vadodara in Gujarat on Sunday morning for funeral rites.
Her husband Alpesh, 52, and her two children, aged seven and 11, flew out to India and arrived on Saturday ahead of a Roman Catholic Service today.
Her uncle Joseph Patelia told The Telegraph she had called her father Edwin Patelia to say she'd boarded safely but her sister later learnt the plane had crashed on the news.
'Before take-off, she called her father to say she'd boarded safely and would call again once she landed in London,' he said. 'That call never came. She vanished just like that leaving us in shock, in tears, unable to believe what we were hearing.
'About 15 minutes after that call, her younger sister Anne saw the news of a plane crash. She ran to her father and said, 'Please check if Elcina was on that flight.' That's when our nightmare began.'
He revealed that Mrs Makwana, who previously ran a telecoms business with her husband, had come to India for dental treatment and to spend time with her parents.
'Elcina had come to India for dental treatment, it's quite expensive in the UK, and obviously to spend time with her parents,' he added. 'She'd been having frequent toothaches. She travelled alone, and her husband Alpesh and their two young children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son, arrived here just yesterday.'
'A truly gentle soul'
Paying tribute to his niece, Mr Patelia said she was a 'gentle soul' and supported poor children in India by paying for education.
'Elcina was incredibly sweet, kind and generous, a truly gentle soul,' he said. 'She had adopted two children back home and was paying for their education. She gave quietly, never seeking attention.
'She had struggled a lot in life, moving to London over 15 years ago, taking on part-time jobs to support her family there and her parents here in India. She had no brothers, so she took on every responsibility herself.
'Her loss is devastating. She was the bond that held our entire family together.'
Investigators are continuing to search the crash site in the Meghaninagar district of Ahmedabad 1.5km metres from the end of the runway at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed for London Gatwick crashed into a hostel where medical students and their families were living just 30 seconds after take-off.
India has ordered urgent safety tests of Boeing 787s and the flight data recorder, known as the black box, had been recovered and was being looked into by investigators.
Only one of the 241 people onboard survived the crash. The sole surviving passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from Leicester, was sitting in seat 11A.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
New video of doomed Air India flight 'shows Boeing 787 did lose power' just before crash killed 242 passengers and ploughed into residential area
A new bombshell video provides evidence that the Air India Boeing 787 lost power after take off, leading to a catastrophic crash that killed 242 passengers, an aviation expert has claimed. Commercial airline pilot Steve Schreiber, who analyses plane crashes and close calls, said a new clearer video shows the doomed flight suffered a 'dual engine failure' before crashing in what was one of India's worst aviation disasters. The London-bound 787 Dreamliner began losing height moments after take-off and exploded into a fireball over a residential area in the Ahmedabad, Gujarat. All but one of the 242 passengers were killed in the horror crash along with another 38 who were killed on the ground when the plane smashed into residential buildings. Initially Mr Schreiber, known by his pseudonym Captain Steve online, suspected there had been an exceptionally simple error in the cockpit when the co-pilot was asked to retract the landing gear, with devastating consequences. However, a clearer video has emerged of the crash, with higher quality visuals and sound, which Mr Schreiber believes could prove that a dual engine failure led to the plane's terrifying final moments. He said a tiny detail which can be seen on the new video is a 'total gamechanger'. Mr Schreiber explained on his Youtube channel Captain Steeeve that beneath the right wing of the aeroplane, he could see a 'protrusion on the belly of the aircraft'. Underneath that there is a 'little grey dot', he added. He said this is evidence of the Ram Access Turbine (RAT) deploying on the plane. A protrusion on the belly of the aircraft, seen in a newly emerged video, has provided evidence about the plane's final moments 'Many aeroplanes have it,' he said. 'It is just behind the wing on the right side of the aeroplane, there is a little door that holds it in. 'It looks like a little Evinrude motor, it's a little two bladed prop. 'The purpose is to provide electrical and hydraulic pressure for the aircraft on an extreme emergency.' Mr Schreiber said that on a 787 there are three things that will deploy the RAT automatically. He said: 'A massive electrical failure, a massive hydraulic failure, or a dual engine failure. 'Any one of those three things will cause that RAT to deploy.' The aviation expert said that the protrusion and the grey dot were visual evidence of the RAT deploying on the aircraft. He added: 'That little grey dot is the RAT. The protrusion is the door that opened to allow the rat to come down.' Mr Schreiber then detailed the second piece of evidence - the sound of the video. He said: 'A RAT makes a distinctive sound, it sounds like a propeller aeroplane going by, or a real high-pitched squeal. It is basically spinning at the speed of sound to produce the energy, electrical and hydraulic that it needs to. 'If you weren't looking at it, it sounded like a single-engine prop aeroplane just flew by. 'The RAT was originally designed as the absolute last resort, assuming there is going to be a dual engine failure at altitude. 'It is not designed for an aeroplane at 400- 500ft. But it is evidence for us.' His theory is that the crash was caused by a dual-engine failure. He added: 'It is evidence for us it was dual engine failure, most likely. It could have been electrical issue, it could have been hydraulic issue, it could have been either one of that. 'But I think the fact the aeroplane is mushing out the sky gives the idea it was a dual engine failure.' Alongside visual and audio evidence provided by the new video, Mr Schreiber believes the eyewitness report taken from sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, provides the third clue to the plane's demise. The British national, 40, said that he was in India with his brother for the best part of a year and was returning to London, where his family live, on the Gatwick-bound aircraft on Thursday. He was seated in 11A on the doomed flight from Ahmedabad, which is said to be one of the worst in India's aviation history, having claimed the lives of 279 people so far. Among the victims believed to be dead, which includes 53 British nationals, is the 40-year-old's brother Ajay Kumar, 35, who was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J perished in the fireball explosion. Describing what happened after take off in an interview from his hospital bed he said: 'When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. 'Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. 'The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' It came after a passenger on the plane when it flew the day before the crash claimed that electronics on the jet such as the screens in the seats were not working. Mr Schreiber believes his short interview may hold another piece of evidence to explain the plane's demise. Wreckage of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies at the site where the Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025 He explained: 'He said just prior to the crash, he heard a loud bang and the lights flickered on the inside of the aeroplane. 'We have got a guy saying he heard a loud bang and the lights flickered, what would cause that? The deployment of the RAT. 'It's going to take over electrical and hydraulic and as it does that the lights in the aeroplane would flicker. 'I have heard reports the captain got out a mayday call and he said they were losing thrust. 'That could be the fourth piece of evidence for dual engine failure.' The evidence that the crash could have been caused by dual-engine failure was ruled out by Aviation Herald - who reported on the crash from India. But Mr Schreiber said he thinks the publication 'probably got that wrong' based on the evidence he has seen. Although the evidence gives 'a lot more clarity' on the crash, he believes it also sends the investigation 'back to square one' because he has no idea why both engines on a 787 would flame out right after take off. The new video emerged as it was revealed to be the original footage of a clip that was shared around the world, which had in fact been a recording of a video on a person's phone. Mr Schreiber explained: 'The video that we all saw was a video of a video and the quality was extremely poor. The original is much sharper. What happened was some cameraman was standing in front of the screen watching the video play. You can see him at the end of it. The audio is not very good and the visual is not very good.' The clarity of the original video along with the original audio helped him come to his new conclusion on the cause of the crash. It comes as the pilot of the India Air plane has been hailed a hero by locals after it emerged that he diverted the jet a the last second to avoid an apartment block, saving the lives of 18 families. The families are convinced they owe their lives to Captain Semeet Sabharwal - who diverted the plane which was heading towards them when it began to rapidly descent after take off, The Sun reported. Captain Sabharwal managed to divert the plane towards a patch of grassland instead. Locals in Ahmedabad fled their homes when the plane erupted into a fireball next to a medical college. The top two floors of a disused four-storey military building were destroyed by the crash. A fire then tore through the college's hostel and killed dozens of students and staff who were eating in the canteen. Captain Sabharwal, 55, was an experienced pilot with more than 8,200 hours of flying time and the son of an officer with India's civil aviation authority. He was the main carer for his father, now in his 80s and called him before taking off. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian on board the flight, as well as 12 crew members. MailOnline previously revealed the British victims were Akeel Nanawaba, Hannaa Vorajee and their daughter Sarah, 4, Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, Javed Ali Syed, his wife and two children, Raxa Modha, her grandson Rudra and her daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar, and Ajay Kumar Ramesh, the brother of the tragedy's only survivor.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
‘Hero' India Air pilot ‘saved dozens of lives' with last gasp decision moments before doomed jet's horror crash
THE India Air pilot was hailed a hero yesterday by locals when he diverted the doomed jet at the last second to avoid their apartment block. All 18 families in the three-storey building under the flight path are convinced they owe their lives to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal — whose Boeing 787 Dreamliner was heading for them when its suffered a loss of engine thrust after take-off. 4 4 4 But with feet to spare, he managed to divert the plane carrying 242 passengers and crew towards a patch of grassland. The locals raced from their homes in Ahmedabad when a fireball from 90 tons of aviation fuel ignited as the plane slammed into the ground next to a medical college. The plane obliterated the top two floors of a disused four-storey military building. And the fire tore through the college's hostel, killing dozens of students and staff who were having lunch in the canteen. All but one of the 242 people on the plane died. Captain Sabharwal, 55, the son of an officer with India's civil aviation authority, was an experienced aviator with 8,200 hours of flying time. He was the main carer for his father, now in his 80s, who he called before take-off. Colleagues paid tribute to Captain Sabharwal from Mumbai, saying: 'He was a good, quiet person.' Mum Geeta Patni, 48, who is one of the closest residents to the crash site, told The Sun: 'The building was shaking. We were so scared. 'There was chaos in the street and fire and smoke. What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather 'Any closer and we would have died. The pilot saved us. 'We have always worried this might happen because the planes go over so low.' Another resident, Jahanvi Rajput, 28, said: 'Thanks to the pilot Captain Sabharwal we survived. He's a hero. It is because of him we are alive. 'The green space next to us was visible to him and that's where he went.' Mum-of-two Chancal Bai, 50, said: 'If the plane had crashed into this residential area, there would have been hundreds more victims.' All of the bodies from the site have been recovered with just 32 indentified so far. Most of the plane has now been removed and the engine will be analysed in America. British and American experts have joined India's National Disaster Response Force to scour the area. 4 Hundreds of desperate relatives have been gathering for news of loved ones at the local Civil Hospital. The first funeral service for a British victim was held yesterday, for Elcina Alpesh Makwana, 42, of Hounslow, West London. Her uncle Joseph Patelia said: 'Before take-off, she called her father to say she'd boarded safely and would call once she landed in London. That call never came. 'She vanished, leaving us in shock, in tears, unable to believe what we're hearing.'
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
Lone plane crash survivor Vishwash Ramesh gets best Father's Day present when son, 4, sends best wishes
LONE plane crash survivor Vishwash Ramesh got the best Father's Day gift yesterday when his son, four, sent best wishes. Vishwash, 40, is in a hospital a mile from where Air India flight 171 crashed killing 241 on board and at least 29 on the ground. 3 3 3 But he is on the mend after his incredible escape and will be reunited with his wife and son in the coming days. They are among family who have flown to India. Cousin Hiren said: 'He is getting better day by day. 'Relatives have been to see him and he was able to speak to his son by phone yesterday on Father's Day.' Vishwash, of Leicester, was in seat 11A on Thursday's flight to Gatwick. He has said the Boeing 787 Dreamliner suffered a catastrophic power loss seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad. He said: 'The lights started flickering green and white. 'Everything happened in seconds. I realised we were going down. Everyone around me was either dead or dying. I thought I was about to die, then I opened my eyes and realised that I was alive.' He crawled through a hole in the wreckage and walked to an ambulance. Brother Ajay, who was in the same row but on the other side of the aisle, was killed. Meanwhile, a mum who died in the crash had been reluctant to leave eight-year-old son Meer for the first time, a friend has said. Abdhiben Patel, 40, had flown to India two weeks earlier to care for her mother. What caused the Air India plane disaster? Six main theories emerge – from mystery over landing gear to 40C weather Atif Karim, a colleague at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton, said: 'She didn't want to go. She told me, 'I don't like being away from him'. 'It was her first time leaving him, and she was very nervous, not excited. It was a sense of duty. Her mum was unwell but you could tell it was weighing on her.' Mr Karim said tensions between India and Pakistan added to Mrs Patel's worries, saying: 'All the flights were getting cancelled. It didn't feel like the right time.' Mrs Patel, whose husband Pankaj worked nights, was devoted to her son. Mr Karim said: 'She was the most diligent, reliable worker I've ever had. But more than that, she was our friend. "She was bubbly, kind, always smiling. She had a way of putting people at ease and took an interest in their lives.'
