Latest news with #FlightAI‑171
New Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Indian- origin UK man, father of two dies in Air India crash after honouring late wife's final wish
In a week marked by unimaginable grief, the story of Arjun Manubhai Patolia stands out as the most tragic among the victims of the Air India Flight AI 171 disaster. A devoted husband and father, he lost his life shortly after honouring his late wife's final wish, and now leaves behind two young daughters in London. The 36-year-old Indian-origin man lost his life in Thursday's catastrophic crash of Air India Flight AI‑171, just hours after performing the final rites for his wife in Gujarat . He had returned to his ancestral village of Vadiya, in Amreli district, to fulfil his wife Bharatiben's dying wish of immersing her ashes in the waters of the Narmada River . Bharatiben had passed away in London just a week prior. With two young daughters (aged 4 and 8) awaiting their return in the UK, Patolia performed the immersion rites alongside family in Vadiya. Soon after, he boarded the Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad. Arjun's nephew, Krish Jagdish Patolia told IndiaToday, 'It's heartbreaking. We have lost both of them in one week.' His daughters now face an unimaginable reality, both parents taken from them in the span of seven days
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: LIC eases procedure of policy settlements for victims' families
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Friday announced a range of concessions to help ease the financial hardships faced by the families of those killed in the Air India flight Al 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. In a press release, LIC expressed grief over the deaths of passengers, crew members, and people on the ground who lost their lives in the tragedy. To provide financial relief to policyholders' nominees, LIC said it would expedite the processing of death claims and relax certain conditions normally required for settlements. — LICIndiaForever (@LICIndiaForever) As per the announcement, instead of a death certificate, LIC will accept any Government record confirming the policyholder's death due to the incident, or proof of compensation disbursed by the Central or state government or Air India authorities. Live Events The state-owned insurer assured that all efforts would be made to reach policyholders' families promptly and settle their dues at the earliest. Claimants in need of assistance can contact their nearest LIC branch, division, or Customer Zone. Additionally, a helpline, 022 68276827, has been set up to provide support and information. AI-171 crash: India's worst air disaster in nearly a decade The crash of Flight AI‑171, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner, is one of India's worst aviation disasters in nearly a decade. The aircraft, heading from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick, came down in a residential area just moments after takeoff, claiming 265 lives (230 passengers, 10 crew, 2 pilots, 5 doctors and others yet to be identified), with only one survivor confirmed. Eyewitnesses described the impact as sounding 'like an earthquake,' with thick black smoke engulfing the crash site and rescue teams struggling to reach the wreckage. The plane struck a hostel building near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, complicating rescue efforts amid intense heat, a large fuel blaze, and debris. Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that soaring temperatures and around 125,000 litres of fuel onboard made the crash unsurvivable. This tragic incident marks the first fatal crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the model's inception and comes at a crucial time for Air India, which is undergoing a transformation under Tata Group's privatisation efforts.
