‘Unite together': London Indian and South Asian community holds vigil after Air India crash

CTV News

8 hours ago

Lakwinder Kathruria, president of INDO-CAN Punjabi Cultural Association of St. Thomas, prays on June 15, 2025 in memory of those lost in the Air India crash. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
Members of London's Indian and South Asian communities came together Sunday at Victoria Park to hold a vigil in memory of those lost the Air India crash this week.
The city of Ahmedabad is more than 12,000 kilometres away from London, Ont., but the ties run deep.
'Friend of mine's mother, it was her first time in her life she was traveling on the plane, and she was the victim of that flight,' said Shams Syed, president of the South Asian Association of London and Surrounding Area.
'It's not only the sadness for Indian community, which is directly affected, and the South Asian community first, but I think everybody was affected by this.'
London vigil for India airplane crash
Members of the London Indian and South Asian Communities came together at Victoria Park for a vigil in memory of those lost in the Air India crash (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)
A single passenger survived the fiery crash of an Air India passenger plane in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, killing more than 240 people bound for London, England and others on the ground, officials said.
'We believe everyone should unite together,' said Bob Patel, president of Indian Culture of Southwestern Ontario.
'It's such a bad incident for every one of us because I'm basically from Ahmedabad, my home country where I lived 15 to 17 years of my life. Lots of places, lots of stuff, lots of friends and lots of family members, they lost. That's a really big tragedy.'
It was not immediately clear what caused one of India's worst airline disasters in decades. A video of the crash shows the plane with its nose pointed upward, sinking toward the ground before slamming into a medical college.
London vigil for India airplane crash
Members of the London Indian and South Asian Communities came together at Victoria Park for a vigil in memory of those lost in the Air India crash (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
The aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, a widebody, twin-engine plane. This is the first Dreamliner crash since it went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Indian conglomerate, Tata Sons, took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled carrier to private ownership after decades of government control.
'We decided from our organization to help in India locally for $25,000,' said Patel.
'For daily necessity stuff. We are supporting the needy people'.
Patel said the local Indian community all migrated here and established new lives.
'We try to keep our heritage and what's going on in India?' said Patel.
'We keep our values and everything. The people like the doctors and lots of people lost their lives over there, so it's a very black, sadness day for each and every one.'
The vigil saw many members of the community come and go to pay their respects over the afternoon.
'It is just basically to show the solidarity and unity and also just an excuse to pray for the departed together,' said Syed.