Latest news with #LawrenceDanielChristian
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
He flew home to bury his father. The Air India crash took his life
Inside a modest two-bedroom apartment in India's Ahmedabad, Ravina Daniel Christian clutches the edge of her tear-soaked scarf. The home is crowded with relatives but the only voice that carries through the room is hers – spilling with loss. Just 15 days ago, she buried her husband. On 12 June, her 30-year-old son Lawrence Daniel Christian, who had come home from London to perform the last rites of his father, was killed in the catastrophic Air India crash that has claimed at least 270 lives. 'He came only for a few days,' she says. 'He was returning on 12 June. Just a short visit – only to honour his father.' That final act of love has become a mother's worst nightmare. 'My husband is gone. And now, so is my son,' Ravina says, wailing. 'I have no one left to support me.' Lawrence had been working in London and was slowly building a future that included his mother. 'He always said, 'Mummy, once I've paid off the loans on our apartment, I'll bring you to London,'' she says. 'That year will never come.' Her last memory of him is a short video call from his seat on the doomed flight. 'He said, 'I'll reach London around 10 or 11pm India time. Then I'll call you. I'm switching off the phone now.'' Ravina had dropped him at the airport that morning and returned to an empty home. 'I didn't feel like eating. I just had a paratha [fried Indian flatbread].' Then the phone rang. 'It was his friend. He told me to check the news – a plane had crashed.' Panic-stricken, she rushed to Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, searching every ward until late into the night. 'But I couldn't find him … My daughter gave her blood for the DNA test. But no one has told us anything since.' Just across town, 66-year-old Sarlaben David Christian is also coming to terms with a double tragedy. Her son Rozar and daughter-in-law Rachnaben – both London residents who had returned to India for medical treatment – were among the passengers killed when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plummeted into a student hostel soon after take-off. 'They had flown in for just a few days,' she says, her voice strained. Her husband had driven them to the airport that morning. After checking in, Rozar called. ''Everything's done. You don't need to wait outside,' he said. 'You can go home.'' The final conversation ended with four words: 'I am comfortably seated.' Hours later, the family would learn about the crash that killed all but one of the 242 passengers on board. Sarlaben's nephew William was the first to realise something was wrong. 'He saw a news alert, turned to his wife, and asked if Rozar and Rachna had left today. When she confirmed, he called my husband and said, 'There's been a crash. It might be their flight.'' Family members split into two teams – one went to the airport, another to the hospital. 'We searched every ward, every stretcher, hoping they were among the injured,' she recalls. 'But they weren't.' DNA samples were requested later that night. The bodies of several victims of the plane crash are expected to be released to their families by Sunday evening, following the completion of the DNA sampling process, The Independent has learnt. According to hospital officials, victims who could not be identified visually had their DNA samples submitted on Thursday. Their remains are likely to be handed over once the 72-hour verification window concludes. In the meantime, the bodies of victims identified through visible body marks are expected to be released either by Saturday evening or early Sunday morning. However, not all victims have undergone DNA sampling. For those cases, officials say the identification process may take longer, as DNA analysis typically requires a minimum of 72 hours. 'We found out … no one was alive,' says Sarlaben, hands trembling. 'Their bodies were in no condition to be seen. How do I describe the pain of losing a son I raised in my arms?' Rozar had long planned to settle in the UK. 'He wanted to buy a house there and bring us over one day,' she says. 'All those dreams have gone with him.' Among the dead was also an entire family of five – Dr Komi Vyas, her husband Dr Prateek Joshi, and their three young children. Dr Vyas, a medical professional from Udaipur, had recently resigned from her position at a local hospital to begin a new life in London with her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi. That fresh start was tragically cut short when the Air India flight they were on crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad. A selfie taken on board the ill-fated Boeing 787 by Dr Joshi captures what would be their final family moment. In it, he and Dr Vyas are seen smiling in their seats, while their children – almost five-year-old twin boys, Nakul and Pradyut, and eight-year-old daughter, Miraya – sit across the aisle. The couple, both doctors, were well known in Udaipur's medical circles. They previously worked at Pacific Hospital before Dr Joshi moved to the UK several years ago. He had returned to their hometown of Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to accompany his wife and children back to London, where the family was planning to settle permanently. A close friend of Dr Vyas, who requests anonymity, shares the devastating news with The Independent. 'Komi was part of our 2004 MBBS [Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery] batch – always smiling, full of charm. Even after college, we stayed in touch. She used to visit my clinic in Ahmedabad when she worked as an assistant professor in Rajasthan. The last time I spoke to her was in December – she had reached out about a consultation for her sister.' He recalls how he found out about the tragedy. 'I was in the operating theatre when the crash happened. Around 2pm, I got a call from my wife, who was also Komi's classmate. She heard from a contact at Civil Hospital that Komi might have been on board the crashed flight. I rushed out of the OT and tried calling Komi, but there was no answer. Soon after, someone on our college WhatsApp group confirmed the devastating news – it was her, her three children, and her husband.' The family had travelled to India for a vacation and were returning to London to begin a new chapter. 'Komi and Prateek had planned to finally settle there now that their twins were turning five in August and their daughter was already of school-going age,' the friend explained. 'With the children a bit older, it would've been easier for Komi to manage in a new country. This was supposed to be their big move.' He also confirms that Dr Vyas's father had arrived in Ahmedabad and had submitted DNA samples for identification on Thursday. 'He's been at Civil Hospital since the day before yesterday, trying to complete the formalities. We've been told the children's bodies were found early this morning, and the process is underway.' As of Saturday evening, the remains of Dr Vyas and her family had not yet been released, pending DNA verification and identification. Some victims' bodies are expected to be released as DNA identification process nears completion. Suresh Patni, 47, stands alone outside the hospital mortuary, waiting for the handover of his 12-year-old son's remains. Akash Patni was charred beyond recognition when the aircraft crashed into the college campus where his family ran a small tea stall. The boy had accompanied his mother, Sitabehen Patni, to their stall as he often did. Tired, he lay down to rest beneath a tree nearby. Moments later, the plane came crashing down, engulfing the area in flames. Akash, fast asleep, had no chance to escape. 'He was burnt alive while sleeping,' Patni says. 'I have not even seen his body yet. It is not in a condition to be seen. It is so burnt that it cannot be identified.' Patni says he has submitted identification documents to the hospital, including a PAN (financial identity) card in lieu of Aadhaar (proof of identity for Indian residents), to claim his son's body. 'The officials have told me they will hand it over by tonight or tomorrow morning.' His wife, Sitabehen, remains in the intensive care unit with serious burn injuries. 'She doesn't know he's gone,' he says. 'She's had more than 40 stitches to her face. The bleeding had to be stopped. I can't even begin to tell her what's happened.' Hospital authorities tell The Independent that most of the bodies recovered from the crash site have been shifted from the post-mortem room to cold storage, awaiting DNA confirmation and family handover. 'I am all by myself here,' Patni says. 'I don't know how I can bear to see him like that. How do I ask them to show me my son's body?'
NDTV
12 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Family Mourns Son Lost In Plane Crash Days After Father's Death
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): In a heart-wrenching incident, the family of Lawrence Daniel Christian, one of the 241 passengers who died in the Air India plane crash en route to London, mourned yet another loss just days after the death of the family's patriarch. Lawrence, who had been living in London with his wife for the past one and a half years due to work commitments, had recently returned to Ahmedabad on leave following his father's demise. Tragically, his journey back to London ended in disaster, leaving the Christian family shattered once again. While speaking to ANI, his mother, Raveena Daniel Christian, said, "...He was living in London with his wife for the last 1.5 years due to work. He came here on leave after my husband's death 15 days was returning to London and we also went..." #WATCH | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Lawrence Daniel Christian's mother, Raveena Daniel Christian, says, "...He was living in London with his wife for the last 1.5 years due to work. He came here on leave after my husband's death 15 days was returning to London and we also went… — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2025 She could not finish the sentence as grief overtook her. The Christian family had accompanied Lawrence to the airport to bid farewell, unaware that it would be the last time they would see him alive. Additional Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Dr Rajnish Patel said, "...So far, DNA samples of 15 people who died have been remains of three dead have been handed over to their families..." Meanwhile, Retired Captain and aviation expert Alok Singh has shared his insights on the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in the loss of 241 lives. Mr Singh attributed the crash to possible causes such as loss of thrust on both engines, bird strike, pilot error, or technical fault. Alok Singh said, "This is a very tragic incident. It will be marked as Black Day in world aviation industry. This is the rarest of rare incidents. From the video, it is clear that the aircraft stopped producing lift. The reason for this could be loss of thrust on both engines, which could have happened due to fuel starvation, or the engine could have stopped getting fuel. A bird strike is also a possibility. This can also be a pilot error. It can also be a technical fault." Mr Singh emphasised the importance of the black box, which records crucial data and cockpit conversations. He explained that the data from the black box would be analysed to determine the exact cause of the crash. On Thursday, the Air India flight AI171 was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport, ramming into a doctors' hostel of BJ Medical College in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Tragic last photo of newlywed Brit with mum before doomed Air India flight
Brit Lawrence Daniel Christian, 26, took a heartbreaking final photo with his mum outside the airport before he boarded the doomed Air India flight that took his life A recently married British man, who travelled to India after his dad died, posed for a heartbreaking final photo before he boarded the doomed Air India flight. Lawrence Daniel Christian, 26, took a picture with his mum, Raveena, outside Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday just before he boarded the aircraft bound for Gatwick Airport. 241 passengers onboard were killed when the plane tragically crashed and fireballed into a medical college hostel just minutes after take off. Only one passenger unbelievably walked away from the tragedy alive, as at least 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site so far. Lawrence had boarded the Boeing Dreamliner to go back to his home in London, where he lived with his newlywed wife. His aunt, who was not named, spoke to local media and said: "We tried calling him repeatedly after seeing the news. "We rushed to the plane crash site and saw the plane completely destroyed. We lost Lawrence Christian in this crash, just days after we lost his father." A family friend in the UK said his widow was heartbroken by the tragedy. The friend said: "She keeps saying this must be a mistake." It is believed Lawrence had lived in the UK for around 18 months before his tragic death. This horrific tragedy has also left two young British girls orphaned after their dad, who had travelled to India to scatter his late wife's ashes, died on the flight. Arjun Patolia had been visiting the north Indian city of Amreli to fulfil his wife's final wish and scatter her ashes in a local river. His wife Bharati had died just seven days earlier in London and the air disaster has left their eight and a four year old daughters, who are living in London, without parents. An "angel" NHS nurse working in a UK hospital was also named as a victim on the tragic flight. Renjitha Gopakumaran, who was working at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, had been returning to the UK after a holiday to see family in her home country. Her colleagues at the NHS hospital paid tribute to the mother and said she was a "beautiful lady" who showed her patients and co-workers "so much love and care". Renjitha, said to be in her 40s, "had the biggest heart and brightest smile", one colleague said. She reportedly had two children in India and was in the UK completing her degree as part of a five-year sabbatical. The deadly crash also killed several people on the ground. At least eight deaths have been confirmed, and authorities in Ahmedabad said four of those victims were medical students living in one of the buildings into which the plane crashed.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash Live: 19 victims identified by DNA
The horrific crash of Air India Flight AI171 on Thursday, June 12, 2025, has left the nation in profound grief, with the confirmed death toll now standing at 279. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex shortly after takeoff, claiming 241 lives on board and an additional 38 on the ground. Only one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived and is recovering. The grim task of identifying victims is heavily reliant on DNA matching, as many bodies were severely damaged or charred. As of Saturday night, 19 victims had been formally identified, with forensic teams working tirelessly. Families, like that of Lawrence Daniel Christian who tragically perished just days after his father's death, are grappling with unimaginable loss. Investigations are paramount, with the flight data recorder (black box) recovered; aviation expert Alok Singh highlighted potential causes including dual engine thrust loss, bird strike, pilot error, or technical fault. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has initiated extended surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet. In response to the tragedy, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for national solidarity and a thorough investigation, while major insurers like SBI Life, HDFC Life, and ICICI Lombard have eased their claim settlement processes to expedite financial relief for the grieving families.
