'In shock': British Indians mourn crash victims at London vigil, World News
LONDON -Dozens of members of Britain's Indian community gathered at a Hindu temple in London on Saturday (June 14) for a vigil mourning the victims of this week's Air India crash, many of whom had personal connections to the temple.
Leaders from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, Zoroastrian and other communities offered their prayers, as those in attendance, hands folded, recited chants.
A representative of Britain's King Charles read out a message from him and offered Christian prayers.
Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the Siddhashram Hindu temple in Harrow, likened the grief of those who lost family members in the crash of the London-bound flight to the wait for a loved one's return from an endless journey.
"They're just waiting and waiting, now they are not going to come back again," he said in an interview.
Guruji, who comes from the state of Gujarat where the plane crashed, said the temple had helped family members in Britain get information about their loved ones.
"Some of the members ... I have spoken to them, and ... they don't have the words," he said. "They are in shock."
Britain has one of the largest Indian communities outside India, with nearly 1.69 million people - or 3.1 per cent of the population - identifying as ethnically Indian.
[[nid:719065]]
"We believe that everyone who is born has to go one day. But I hope nobody goes the way these ... passengers, as well as the medical students, have gone," said Harrow Mayor Anjana Patel, who lost a family member.
Only one of the 242 passengers and crew on board survived the crash, while others were killed when the plane struck a medical college's hostel.
Patel told Reuters that the council was offering grief counselling.
"We just cannot bear how people must be feeling," she said.
Jyotsna Shukla, 66, said her son's childhood friend was on the plane with his wife and three children.
"I feel very bad because he was so young," she said, before breaking down into tears.
Among those killed was Vijay Rupani, a former chief minister of Gujarat, who had visited the temple.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
22 minutes ago
- CNA
Air India crash: Officials seek to identify the bodies of victims as death toll reaches 279
Three days after one of India's worst aviation disasters, questions remain, about why the Air India flight, bound for London, went down. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. 241 people on board, as well as 38 on the ground were killed. Families are still waiting to receive the bodies of their loved ones, as the process of identifying them continues. Rebecca Bundhun reports from Ahmedabad.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
US officials survey Air India crash site, families continue to wait for bodies
US National Transportation Safety Board and US Federal Aviation Administration officials surveyed the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS AHMEDABAD - Officials from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of the Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people, sources said on June 15 , with families continuing to wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. Along with the NTSB, officials from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were in Ahmedabad in western India's Gujarat state surveying the crash site, said one source with direct knowledge. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on J une 12 , and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Around 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The secretary of the US Department of Transport, Mr Sean Duffy, said on June 13 he was in the process of deploying a team from the FAA and the NTSB to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. 'We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation,' Mr Duffy said. The FAA and NSTB did not immediately respond to Reuters queries outside regular business hours. The FAA has said India will lead the investigation, but the NTSB is the official US representative for providing assistance, while the FAA provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters in their inspections, including the angle of landing, as they investigate the matter, said the first source. In all, around 10 officials were present at the site on June 1 5, including from the NTSB, said the second source. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India which has for years being trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Dr Ra jnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. 'The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect,' he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
U.S. officials survey Air India crash site, families continue to wait for bodies
Boeing Co's logo is seen above the front doors of its largest jetliner factory in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Alwyn Scott FILE PHOTO: Members of Indian Army's engineering arm prepare to remove the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo AHMEDABAD, India - Officials from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) surveyed the site of Air India plane crash that killed at least 271 people, sources said on Sunday, with families continuing to wait for DNA profiling results to identify charred bodies. Along with the NTSB, officials from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were in Ahmedabad in western India's Gujarat state surveying the crash site, said one source with direct knowledge. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board bound for Gatwick Airport south of London began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and erupted in a huge fireball as it hit buildings below. All but one on board were declared dead in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. Around 30 people died on the ground. Air India and the Indian government were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust, flaps, and why the landing gear remained open as the plane took off and then came down. The secretary of the U.S. Department of Transport, Sean Duffy, said on Friday he was in the process of deploying a team from the FAA and the NTSB to India. Boeing and GE, whose engines were used in the plane, were also sending teams. "We'll take action should any recommendations come forward from the NTSB's investigation," Duffy said. The FAA and NSTB did not immediately respond to Reuters queries outside regular business hours. The FAA has said India will lead the investigation, but the NTSB is the official U.S. representative for providing assistance, while the FAA provides technical support. Boeing officials will also look at various parameters in their inspections, including the angle of landing, as they investigate the matter, said the first source. In all, around 10 officials were present at the site on Sunday, including from the NTSB, said the second source. India's aviation regulator has ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected. The crash brings a fresh challenge for both Air India which has for years being trying to revamp its fleet, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In Ahmedabad, doctors were struggling to identify bodies that were charred in the incident, resorting to dental samples and DNA profiling. DNA samples of 32 victims from the crash have been successfully matched, Rajnish Patel, additional superintendent at the city's main hospital, said on Sunday. "The bodies for which DNA samples have been matched are being handed over to the families with due respect," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
