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The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Tributes pour in for Britons killed in Air India plane crash
Sisters who travelled to surprise their grandmother and a couple who lost their only son in a previous air tragedy have been named among the British victims in the Air India crash as their families wait for answers on what caused the disaster. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in a fireball on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague who worked closely with him said. Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura' and wanted to 'roam the world'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. 'Right now no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but, see, the tragedy – they came, they celebrated and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London, said. They were returning from a religious celebration in India. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' Mr Guruji, 53, said. 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said in statement issued through their imam. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter, Sara Nanabawa, were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director for an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, Imam Abdullah Samad said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, India, according to the company's website. Imam Abdullah Samad said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful, young daughter. 'They gave their time and energy to awareness campaigns and fundraising efforts, always guided by a strong sense of responsibility to help others. 'They were widely loved and deeply respected. His quiet generosity, her warmth and kindness, and their daughter's bright, joyful spirit made a lasting impact on everyone who knew them.' Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board the plane were killed when it crashed and struck a medical college in Ahmedabad. The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh told DD News 'I still can't believe how I survived' as he spoke from his hospital bed on Friday. The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white – adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with Mr Ramesh to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital. There are fears the number of people killed on the ground could rise. At least five medical students were killed and about 50 injured. Investigations are continuing into the cause of the crash. Aviation experts have speculated about the possible causes of the crash, from both engines failing – possibly due to a bird strike, as happened in the so-called Miracle on the Hudson in 2009 – to the flaps on the aircraft's wings not being set to the correct position for take-off. Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of each of those killed in the crash. The company said it would also cover the medical costs of the injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college. Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad airports to provide support in the wake of AI171's crash.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Sisters who died in Air India crash wanted to roam the world, cousin says
Sisters from London who died in the Air India plane crash had an 'amazing aura' and wanted to 'roam around the world', their cousin has said. Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their early 20s, were returning home to the UK on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Thursday when it crashed after surprising their grandmother for her birthday. Speaking to the PA news agency, Ishan Baxi, a cousin who lives in Ahmedabad, said both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong'. Heer worked a product manager and 'loved statistics and finance', while Dhir was a fashion designer who had studied at Parsons Paris art and design school, Mr Baxi said. He said: 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world like tension-free along with the parents, and they had proclivity towards modernisation without changing traditional values. 'Right now no one is able to come (to) terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but, see, the tragedy – they came, they celebrated and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes. 'I am unable to control my tears even now also just because I was close to them, you just imagine what emotions parents are going through right now and think about guilt the grandma would feel right now,' Mr Baxi added. 'I just want God to bless those souls, all dreams, promises, aspirations vanished in seconds.' Mr Baxi said the family are 'not ready to accept' that the women were 'gone' and that their grandmother is 'in shock'. The plane struck a medical college as it crashed in a fireball on Thursday, killing 241 people on board. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who is 40 years old and from the UK, is believed to be the only survivor.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Sisters made 'surprise trip from London to visit grandmother for her birthday' before dying in Air India crash
Two sisters who made a surprise trip from London to visit their grandmother for her birthday are among the victims of the Air India tragedy. Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their 20s, travelled from the UK capital to Ahmedabad for the visit and were returning to Gatwick when their plane crashed just 60 seconds after takeoff. Their heartbroken loved ones told today how they had lost 'everyone' after the 'young talents' were killed in the disaster. Dhir was a designer for a degree in fashion design while Heer worked as a project leader in the investment and renewable energy sector. She had previously worked in Singapore, where the sisters are believed to have spent their childhood. The Air India plane carrying 242 passengers crashed just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner careened back down to earth in the densely populated Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway around 1.40pm local time (8.10am BST). Terrifying CCTV footage shows the plane appear to lose control before it starts rapidly descending with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed. It plunges into the ground and explodes in a huge fireball, as a massive plume of black smoke is seen billowing out from crash site. Aviation experts say that the aircraft may have suddenly lost power 'at the most critical phase of flight' after takeoff. The plane momentarily disappeared from view behind trees and buildings before a massive fireball erupted on the horizon in this horrifying clip Today, the Baxis elder brother, Ishan, told The Telegraph: 'I can't express what my complete family is going through – shell shocked, not coming to terms is what I can say right now 'Both had a natural aura of helping and always cared about family values. They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world, tension-free. Along with their parents, they both had a proclivity towards modernisation without changing traditional values. 'Both my sisters know what is right and what is wrong, thus whatever work they carried out, in academics or fashion, they always got success with no conflicts amongst peers or seniors.' Last night, a comment was added to Heer's last Instagram post from November 2024 that said: 'RIP young talent.' Harrods brand ambassador Mariam Ali Syed, 35, her husband Javed - a manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel - and their children, Zayn, five, and Amani, four, have also been named as passengers on the stricken flight. Zayn and Amani are believed to be the youngest named victims of the crash so far. Mrs Ali Syed's sister-in-law, Yasmine Hassan, 45, broke down while confirming the children's names, and pleaded with officials to offer more support to the families of the 53 British citizens onboard the flight. All but one person aboard Air India Flight 171 are feared to have died in the tragedy. Also among them were Akeel Nanawaba, Hannaa Vorajee and their daughter Sarah, 4, Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, Raxa Modha, her grandson Rudra and her daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar and Ajaykumar Ramesh, the brother of the tragedy's only survivor. An 'angel' NHS nurse was also named today as one of the passengers killed in the tragedy. Renjitha Gopakumaran was returning to the UK after a holiday to see family in her home country when the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 crashed. The nurse and mother was working at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Hants, and is thought to have been in the UK for a year. Her colleagues at the NHS hospital today said she was a 'beautiful lady' who showed her patients and co-workers 'so much love and care'. Ms Gopakumaran, said to be in her 40s, 'had the biggest heart and brightest smile', one colleague said. Others said it was 'tragic' to hear of her passing. Ms Gopakumaran has two children in India and she had been in the UK completing her degree as part of a five The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in 11A, is also British and told the Hindustan Times he had lived in London for 20 years. Vishwash's brother Ajaykumar accompanied him on the flight and was sat on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J, but he sadly perished in the fireball explosion. Akeel Nanawaba, 36, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, 30, and their daughter Sarah, four, were flying home from a five-day family celebration when the Dreamliner crashed. The successful young couple ran a global recruitment agency with offices in Ahmedabad and Gloucester. Their shocked business partner Shoyeb Khan Nagori told MailOnline: 'I had dinner with them last night. They were a lovely family and Akeel and his wife were extremely successful people.' Mr Nagori said he was too upset to find the words to describe their daughter Sarah who had spent time with her grandfather during the brief visit. He said: 'They were here to celebrate a family festival and to spend some time with Akeel's father. 'Akeel was a really good man, I'm in shock, we were all having dinner together the night before.' Mr Nagori was with hundreds of other relatives of crash victims waiting for updates at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. He founded recruitment company Iceberg Outsourcing Services with Mr Nanbawa, who was the managing director. Hannaa, a trained midwife, was head of finance with a sister company called Rec2go Ltd, also based in Gloucester. Recently widowed Raxa Modha, 55, her grandson two-year-old Rudra, and her daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar are all believed to have been onboard the ill-fated airliner. Mrs Modha had been in India for some time fulfilling the dying wish of her ill husband Kishor who had wanted to live out his last days in his homeland. Following his recent passing, the mother-of-three was returning with her family to their home in Northamptonshire when disaster struck. In a twist of fate, Kishan Modha – the toddler's father and Raxa's son – had also been in India but was not on the flight as he was due to catch another tomorrow. Speaking to MailOnline, a family friend said: 'It's incredibly sad, the whole family is already grieving Kishor's death. 'Kishan fortunately was getting on another flight, but we don't know what has happened to the others.' Neighbours at the family's detached home in Wellingborough said Mrs Modha is a 'lovely lady'. They said she had been in India for an extended period to support her husband who was battling an illness. The respected businessman, who launched a successful catering business after settling in the UK in 1989, died on April 26. The family were due to hold a service in his memory later this month. In a memorial for him, the family said he was a 'cherished husband' to Raxa and 'proud grandfather to Rudra, who brought him immense joy'. The mayor for Wellingborough, Raj Mishra offered his condolences to the family on a post on Facebook adding it was devastating for the local community. 'I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends, and all those affected by this heartbreaking event,' he added. Police said they had found a lone survivor who had been sitting in seat 11A when Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff in India British celebrity wellness guru Jamie Meek and his husband are also believed to have perished after they posted a haunting video of themselves at the airport waiting to board the Air India flight. Mr Meek, 45, and husband Fiongal Greenlaw, 39, who live in London, run a wellness and healthy lifestyle company called the Wellness Foundry, and had been in India on holiday. In a chilling final social media video posted from Ahmedabad airport as they waited to board their doomed flight the couple were dressed in flowery shirts looking happy at the end of their break. In the clip, Fiongal says: 'We are at the airport just boarding. Goodbye India. Ten-hour flight back to England. What was your biggest takeaway Jamie? Jamie replies: 'I don't know,' with his partner laughing and responding: 'Thanks for your contribution.' Fiongal than jokes that his biggest takeaway was 'don't lose your patience with your partner' to which Jamie responds with a smile: 'You snapped at me at the airport for having chai.' As other passengers mill in the background, Fiongal laughs at the camera and reveals that he is going back to Britain 'happily, happily calm.' Mr Meek's brother, Nick Meek, told MailOnline: 'We were expecting him home tonight. He should have landed at 6.30pm and then driven up for about 11pm to get his dog who is staying with our Mum. 'She is not in a good way. It is all very raw for her at the moment. It's a lot to take in and we only heard this news a couple of hours ago. 'Jamie and his husband Fin had been out there for 10 days as a couple to do a wellness retreat. 'They both worked in holistics and had their own business.' The caretaker from Birmingham said it was not the first time his brother had been to India but it was the first time they had gone as a couple. He said that his brother and Fin had married in 2022 and lived in Ramsgate, Kent. In other videos posted by the couple, they showed the stunning hotel they were staying in while in Ahmedabad having completed a seven-hour car journey. The company specialises in tarot and psychic readings, reiki and other alternative spiritual therapies. British father Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was filmed walking out from the rubble after some how miraculously surviving the catastrophic crash. Fiongal lies on a large bed as he speaks to the camera, showing off a giant swing in their room and describes the hotel as 'beautiful. He beams: 'Feeling very, very happy.' The couple captured the happy time they had in India in a series of social media posts. This included getting henna tattoos, shopping for fine fabrics and other gifts and driving through chaotic traffic in a tuk-tuk. They arrived in Ahmedabad just a day before flying back with Fiongal posting in a video: 'So, it's our last night in India and we've had a magical experience. Some mind-blowing things have happened. 'We are going to put all this together and create a vlog. It's my first ever vlog about the whole trip and we want to share it.' Jamie revealed what a memorable trip they had both had: 'We have been on quite a journey and then spending our last night here in this beautiful hotel, it's really been great way to round off the trip.' According to its website, The Wellness Foundry was founded by Fiongal in 2018 after he had a 'spiritual awakening' following a mysterious illness. The website adds: 'Seeking healing beyond conventional methods, Fiongal delved into alternative practices that resonated deeply within his soul.' Speaking to local media from the safety of a hospital bed, the passenger who was in seat 11A said: 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.' '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.' Astonishing footage showed the passenger walking away from the scene with some visible injuries. Vishwash, who was returning home to London after visiting family, sustained injuries to his chest, eyes and feet, he told the Hindustan Times. The regional police chief said 'some locals would have also died', given that the plane smashed down into offices and accommodation for doctors close to a hospital. So far, rescue teams supported by the military have recovered 204 bodies, with casualties from the plane and the area surrounding the crash. The passengers included 159 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian. Eleven of those on board were children, including two newborns. A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said: 'Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic plane crash in India – this is an unfolding situation, and it will undoubtedly be causing a huge amount of worry and concern. 'FCDO staff are working urgently with local authorities in India and the UK to ensure families and friends are supported in the coming days, whether in the UK or in India.'
