Sisters pay tribute to grandparents killed in Air India crash

BBC News

2 days ago

A couple who were killed in the Air India crash were the "foundation of our family", their granddaughters have said.All but one of the 242 people on board the London Gatwick-bound aircraft died when it crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, western India, shortly after take-off on Thursday.After attending a wedding, 72-year-old Adam Taju and his wife Hasina, 70, were flying back to the UK with their 51-year-old son-in-law Altafhusen Patel, who also lived in London with his wife Shamim.Their granddaughter, Ammaarah Taju, from Blackburn, Lancashire, said to lose them "so suddenly, without a goodbye, without one last embrace, is a pain too deep for words".
There were 53 Britons on board the aircraft, along with 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.Flight AI171 struggled to gain altitude after taking off and crashed after 30 seconds.A mayday call was transmitted to air traffic control, said India's aviation regulator.A senior health official in Ahmedabad has told the BBC that at least eight people who were not board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner also died in the crash.
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Paying tribute with her three sisters, Ammaarah Taju, 28, said: "The thought of never hearing your voices again feels unreal. "We are the end of your legacy, the branches of the tree you nurtured, and now we have to carry forward everything you taught us."Dada and Dadi, you were the foundation of our family, the love that kept us close and the wisdom that guided us."The sisters said their legacy was "woven into every part of us" and "your lessons, your love, your unwavering support will live on"."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," they added."The reality of losing you both like this is impossible to comprehend, and the pain runs deeper than words can express."Life is fleeting, and we never imagined we would lose you together, in such a tragic way."
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