Latest news with #ArjunPatolia
Daily Record
a day ago
- General
- Daily Record
Two children orphaned as dad dies in Air India crash after scattering mum's ashes
Father-of-two Arjun Patolia was returning to London after scattering his late wife's ashes. He was tragically confirmed among the 241 victims of the doomed Air India Flight 171. Two small girls from the UK have been left orphaned after their father died on the tragic Air India flight 171 - while returning from a trip to scatter their mum's ashes. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was bound for London, crashed in Ahmedabad, India, just minutes after take-off on Thursday, reports the Mirror. The plane plunged into a residential neighbourhood, with harrowing footage capturing the moment it slammed into the ground, killing hundreds on impact. One of the passengers on board, Arjun Patolia had been visitng the northern Indian city of Amreli to scatter the ashes of his late wife, Bharti Patoliya, in a local river. Bharti had passed away just seven days earlier in London after a corageous battle with cancer, and had asked her husband to return her remains to India. Tragically, this means the couple's two kids - aged just four and eight - became orphans within just 18 days, having now lost both of their beloved parents. Fulfilling Bharti's final wish, Arjun flew to Gujarat, her homeland, to lay her to rest. He visited the sacred Narmada River – a revered site in Hinduism where many believe ashes must be scattered to purify the soul and achieve spiritual liberation. Surrounded by loved ones, he performed several funeral rites in his ancestral village, around 150 miles from Ahmedabad. But disaster struck again for the family as he boarded the Air India flight home to London - returning to the daughters he was now raising alone. He was later confirmed as one of the 241 people killed on the flight departing from Ahmedabad Airport. Not long after take-off, the flight crew issued a chilling "mayday" distress call. Tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that the plane's signal disappeared just seconds after becoming airborne. Terrifying eyewitness video showed the aircraft ascending sharply with its nose tilted upward before vanishing from view. Seconds later, a massive explosion ripped through the sky, followed by a towering fireball and thick plumes of smoke billowing over the city. A British man was the only survivor of the horror crash. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, who had been seated in 11A, told the Hindustan Times of the terrifying ordeal: 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' In the wake of the tragedy, loved ones of the two orphaned sisters have launched a GoFundMe page to 'provide security, stability, and love in the years ahead.' The fundraiser, which has already surpassed £87,000 in donations, reads: 'In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters - only 4 and 8 years old - have lost both of their beloved parents. Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat. 'But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again - Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents - their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.' All funds raised will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs, it adds.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Two girls orphaned after Air India plane crash kills dad scattering mum's ashes
Father-of-two Arjun Patolia was on his way back to London after scattering the ashes of his late wife - but was tragically confirmed as one of the 241 victims who perished on the doomed Air India flight 171 Two little girls have been tragically orphaned after their father died on the doomed Air India flight 171 - while returning from a trip to scatter their mum's ashes. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London crashed in Ahmedabad, India, just minutes after it took off on Thursday. The plane plunged into a residential area, with terrifying footage capturing the moment it hit the ground and killed hundreds on impact. Arjun Patolia had been visiting the north Indian city of Amreli to scatter the ashes of his late wife, Bharti Patoliya, in a local river. She passed away seven days earlier in London following a courageous battle with cancer, but had asked her husband to return her remains to India. It means the couple's two children - aged just four and eight - became orphans in the span of just 18 days, having now lost both of their beloved parents. Fulfilling Bharti's final wish, Arjun travelled to Gujarat, her homeland, to lay her to rest. He visited the sacred Narmada River - a holy site in Hinduism where many believe ashes must be scattered to purify the soul and achieve spiritual liberation. Joined by loved ones, he carried out several funeral rites in his ancestral village, about 150 miles from Ahmedabad. But as he boarded the Air India flight home to London - back to the daughters he was now raising alone - disaster struck once more. Arjun was confirmed as one of the 241 victims on board the doomed flight from Ahmedabad Airport. Shortly after take-off, the flight crew sent out a chilling 'mayday' distress call. Tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed the plane's signal vanished just seconds after becoming airborne. Horrifying eyewitness footage captured the aircraft ascending with its nose tilted upward before disappearing from view. Seconds later, a thunderous explosion tore through the sky, followed by a towering fireball and thick black smoke billowing over the city. A British man was only the survivor of the horror crash. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, who was sitting in seat 11A, recounted the terrifying ordeal to the Hindustan Times: 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Loved-ones of the two orphaned sisters have launched a GoFundMe page 'to provide security, stability, and love in the years ahead.' The fundraiser, which has already surpassed £87,000 in donations, reads: 'In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters - only 4 and 8 years old - have lost both of their beloved parents. Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat. 'But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again - Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents - their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.' All funds raised will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs, it adds.
Daily Record
a day ago
- General
- Daily Record
Dad-of-two killed in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes in final wish
Arjun Patolia's daughters are just eight and four years old. A father of two young children who had travelled to India to scatter his late wife's ashes was tragically killed in Thursday's horror plane crash as he returned home. Arjun Patolia had been visiting the city of Amreli, in northern India, and was due to fly back to London on June 12. However, it was later confirmed he was one of the passengers on board the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. His wife Bharatiben had sadly died in London a week earlier, but one of her final requests was for her husband to take her remains back to India. He visited the Narmada River, a sacred place in the Hindu faith, with many people having their ashes scattered in rivers to purify the soul and ensure spiritual liberation. He then took part in funeral rites with family members in his village, which is around 150 miles from Ahmedabad, the Mirror reports. The couple had two daughters, aged eight and four, who live in London, according to local Indian media. Arjun's mother still lives in the city of Surat. The plane plunged to the ground just minutes after take-off at around 1.38pm local time on Thursday. It struck a residential area, with horrifying footage capturing the moment it fireballed. A "mayday" distress call had been issued by the crew, indicating an emergency on board. However, no further communication was received, with flight tracking service Flightradar24 reporting it lost signal from the aircraft seconds after it left the ground. Footage from eyewitnesses captured the moment the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner descended with its nose pointing upwards before disappearing out of sight. Seconds later, a loud explosion could be heard, followed by a huge fireball and thick smoke billowing into the sky. A British man is believed to be the sole survivor of the terrifying crash. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh claimed he was in seat 11A on the plane, and said he heard a loud noise around 30 seconds after take-off. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The 40-year-old told the Hindustan Times: "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital." His family said they had "no idea" how Vishwash had survived, but added his older brother Ajay was also on the flight. His younger brother Nayan Kumer Ramesh, 27, said: "We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. He said I have no idea how I exited the plane."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Dad killed in plane crash while scattering wife's ashes leaving 2 girls orphaned
Father-of-two Arjun Patolia had travelled to India to carrying out his dying wife's final wish but his two young daughters have been left orphaned after he died in yesterday's tragic air disaster A father of two young girls who travelled to see out his wife's final wish died in the horror Air India crash that killed 241 passengers on board. Arjun Patolia had been visiting the north Indian city of Amreli to scatter his late wife's ashes in a local river. Bharatiben had died just seven days earlier in London but during her final days she asked her husband to return her remains to India. The dad-of-two was due to return back to London yesterday but it was later revealed he had been one of the passengers on the doomed flight from Ahmadabad Airport, which was bound for Gatwick Airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad, just minutes after it took-off at around 1.38pm local time on Thursday. The plane plunged into a residential area and terrifying footage caught the moment it fireballed. On his trip to India, Arjun had visited a sacred river in Hinduism, called the Narmada River. Many Hindu people have their ashes scattered in rivers to purify the soul and ensure spiritual liberation. The dad then carried out severla funeral rites with family in his village, around 150 miles from Ahmedabad. Arjun had an eight and a four year old daughter who are living in London, according to local Indian media, while his mother lives in Surat, India. Shortly after take-off, the crew issued a "mayday" distress call, indicating an emergency situation. However, no further communication was received from the aircraft after the initial alert. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that it lost the signal from the aircraft just seconds after it became airborne. Shocking eyewitness footage captured in the moments before the crash showing the aircraft - painted in Air India's signature white and orange - descend with its nose tilted upward before disappearing beyond the horizon. Seconds later, a loud explosion was heard and it was followed by a massive fireball and plumes of thick black smoke rising into the air. A British man is believed to be the only survivor of this horror crash. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, claimed he was sat in seat 11A on the flight bound for Gatwick and said he heard a loud noise around 30 seconds after the plane took off. He told the Hindustan Times: "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital." His shocked family broke their silence and said they had "no idea" how the British national managed to survive but added that his brother Ajay was also on the flight. Vishwash's other brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: "We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated. He said I have no idea how I exited the plane."
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Father of two boarded ill-fated Air India flight to London 7 days after wife's death
Just days after performing the last rites of his wife in India, London-based Arjun Patolia boarded the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday. He was returning home to reunite with his two young daughters. According to a report by Daily Mail, Patolia had travelled to Gujarat's Amreli district to fulfil the final wish of his wife, Bharatiben, who had died just a week earlier. Her last request was for her ashes to be immersed in her native village, something Patolia honoured with devotion, carrying her floral urn and performing the rituals alongside extended family. (Also Read: Rajasthan doctor, husband and children's last family selfie before Air India's Ahmedabad plane crash goes viral) After days of mourning and religious ceremonies, the 38-year-old boarded Air India flight AI-171, bound for London Gatwick, hoping to return to his daughters, aged four and eight. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, including 53 British nationals, crashed in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar neighbourhood around 1.40 pm local time, just minutes after take-off. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers including 53 British nationals, crash-landed in Ahmedabad's Meghani Nagar neighbourhood at approximately 1.40 pm local time. CCTV footage shows the aircraft losing altitude rapidly with its landing gear deployed before crashing into a densely populated area. Authorities have launched a probe into one of India's deadliest aviation tragedies. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site as investigators began piecing together what led to the catastrophic crash of the London-bound flight, which went down just minutes after take-off. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on social media that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an inquiry into the crash, following international protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). (Also Read: Ahmedabad plane crash live updates: PM Modi visits Air India flight mishap site, meets injured) (With agency inputs)
