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BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Preston temple vigil held for India plane crash victims
Prayers were held at a Hindu temple in Lancashire for those who lost their lives in the Air India crash in London Gatwick-bound flight crashed soon after take-off from the city's airport in the western state of Gujarat at about 09:00 BST on Thursday, killing 242 people on board. One person - a British man - gathered at the Gujarat Hindu Society Temple in Preston on Friday to pray for those who had died and their loved president Ishwer Tailor said he hoped the vigil would give people some "consolation". Mr Tailor said Preston has a large Gujarati community and admitted he wanted to do something sooner than the weekend "with people being in shock"."It is a catastrophe not just for people who have passed away but also for India," he said."We have had several people coming up to us and telling stories of some of their friends and relatives who have perished in this terrible accident and the stories keep coming." He said the temple doors would remain open for all communities."Whole families have been destroyed. All we can do in this moment in time is pray and make sure we remember them in our prayers," he said. There were 53 Britons on board the flight, along with 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one couple who died in the crash - 72-year-old Adam Taju and his wife Hasina, 70 - were described as the "foundation of our family" by their granddaughters, from Blackburn, Lancashire. Additional reporting by Anna Jameson and Nishma Hindocha Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sisters pay tribute to grandparents killed in Air India crash
A couple who were killed in the Air India crash were the "foundation of our family", their granddaughters have 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 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 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 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. Live coverage of the crash aftermathMessages deliver, bodies missing: Clinging to hope after Air India crashWho were the victims?What we know so far about Air India flight AI171?What could have caused Air India plane to crash in 30 seconds? 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." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
