Latest news with #BhartiPatoliya
The Independent
15 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Girls orphaned when father died in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes
Two children were orphaned when their father was killed in the Air India plane crash after travelling to scatter his wife's ashes in her homeland, according to a fundraiser for the family. Arjun Patoliya, 37, was killed 18 days after his wife Bharti had died from cancer, the GoFundMe page to support their daughters, aged four and eight, said. The Briton had travelled to Gujarat to fulfil his wife's 'final wish'. By Saturday afternoon more than £370,000 had been raised to help the girls. The fundraiser, organised by Mr Patoliya's colleague, said: '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.' It added: '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.' Mr Patoliya worked at furniture manufacturer Inspired Elements Ltd, based in Stanmore, north-west London. The company, which organised the GoFundMe appeal, posted a tribute on social media saying: 'We are deeply saddened to share the (loss) of a cherished member of our team in the recent Air India flight tragedy. 'Our hearts are heavy with grief as we come to terms with this profound loss. 'Arjun was not just a colleague but also a dear friend. His dedication, kindness, and spirit has left a lasting mark on us all'. Mr Patoliya had attended Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul International School in Surat, western India. A teacher at the secondary school said on social media: 'It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our dear former student. 'This news has deeply saddened us all. Arjun was a cherished member of our Gurukul family, and his untimely departure is a great loss.' More than 8,700 donations had been made to the GoFundMe by Saturday afternoon, including many of more than £1,000, and one of £5,000. Money has been pledged to go towards providing a 'stable, nurturing home' for the girls and ensuring they can access education. Organisers said they will also use the donations to 'establish trusted long-term wellbeing care' and 'build a future rooted in love, healing, and opportunity. 'All funds raised will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs.' The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press.
Sky News
21 hours ago
- General
- Sky News
Children orphaned as father killed in Air India plane crash days after mother dies
A father returning home after scattering his wife's ashes was among the victims of the Air India crash, leaving his two young children suddenly orphaned. Flight 171 was carrying 242 people when it struck a medical college hostel less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India. Twenty-nine people on the ground were killed, taking the total number of victims to 270. A hospital official confirmed 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but DNA testing is being conducted to identify the bodies. Just one passenger, a British man from Leicester, survived what has become the worst aviation crash in a decade. India's aviation minister has said a government panel reviewing the crash will complete its assessment in three months. "We have also given the order to do the extended surveillance of the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian fleet," aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, without saying if the checks will apply to all Indian airlines. Mr Naidu said the plane started descending after reaching 650 feet. Every theory as to what happened will be looked into, he said. But in the meantime, he has instructed the airline to assist the families of passengers to ensure there is no delay in handing over the bodies of those who had died. Among the victims, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya had been visiting India to fulfil his wife Bharti's "final wish" to be laid to rest in her hometown of Gujarat. Bharti had died just over two weeks ago, following a "courageous battle with cancer". A GoFundMe page, set up to raise funds for their two children, says: "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." A fundraiser, which has topped more than a quarter of a million pounds, confirms all money raised will go directly into a legal trust, "to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs". 3:24 Black box has been found India's aviation ministry says workers have recovered the digital flight data recorder - one of two black boxes on the plane, from the rooftop of the building where it crashed. This box has data on engine and control settings, so will be able to show if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff. The investigation will initially focus on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source told Reuters on Friday. A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process. There is no information yet on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which will be a crucial part of understanding what caused the plane to crash. The country's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.
Sky News
a day ago
- General
- Sky News
Children orphaned after father killed in Air India plane crash days after mother dies
A father returning home after scattering his wife's ashes was among the victims of the Air India crash, leaving his two young children suddenly orphaned. Flight 171 was carrying 242 people when it struck a medical college hostel less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India. Twenty-nine people on the ground were killed, taking the total number of victims to 270. A hospital official confirmed 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but DNA testing is being conducted to identify the bodies. Just one passenger, a British man from Leicester, survived what has become the worst aviation crash in a decade. Among the victims, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya had been visiting India to fulfil his wife Bharti's "final wish" to be laid to rest in her hometown of Gujarat. Bharti had died just over two weeks ago, following a "courageous battle with cancer". A GoFundMe page, set up to raise funds for their two children, says: "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." A fundraiser, which has topped more than a quarter of a million pounds, confirms all money raised will go directly into a legal trust, "to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs". 3:24 Black box has been found India's aviation ministry says workers have recovered the digital flight data recorder - one of two black boxes on the plane, from the rooftop of the building where it crashed. This box has data on engine and control settings, so will be able to show if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff. The investigation will initially focus on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source told Reuters on Friday. A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process. There is no information yet on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which will be a crucial part of understanding what caused the plane to crash. The country's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.
Sky News
a day ago
- General
- Sky News
Father returning home after scattering wife's ashes among Air India victims
A father returning home after scattering his wife's ashes was among the victims of the Air India crash, leaving his two young children suddenly orphaned. Flight 171 was carrying 242 people when it struck a medical college hostel less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India. Twenty-nine people on the ground were killed, taking the total number of victims to 270. A hospital official confirmed 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but DNA testing is being conducted to identify the bodies. Just one passenger, a British man from Leicester, survived what has become the worst aviation crash in a decade. Among the victims, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya had been visiting India to fulfil his wife Bharti's "final wish" to be laid to rest in her hometown of Gujarat. Bharti had died just over two weeks ago, following a "courageous battle with cancer". A GoFundMe page, set up to raise funds for their two children, says: "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." A fundraiser, which has topped more than a quarter of a million pounds, confirms all money raised will go directly into a legal trust, "to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs". 3:24 Black box has been found India's aviation ministry says workers have recovered the digital flight data recorder - one of two black boxes on the plane, from the rooftop of the building where it crashed. This box has data on engine and control settings, so will be able to show if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff. The investigation will initially focus on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source told Reuters on Friday. A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process. There is no information yet on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which will be a crucial part of understanding what caused the plane to crash. The country's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.
Daily Mirror
2 days 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.
