20 hours ago
Son of Air India victim missed last call moments before mother boarded plane
The son of an Air India crash victim missed the last phone call from his mother before she boarded the flight in Ahmedabad.
Chirag Mahesh Patel revealed he had been called by Manju Mahesh Patel, 79, at 4am.
Ms Patel had been seated in 12D on Flight AI171 as it crashed moments after taking off on Thursday.
She was in the next row from British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, who was seated in 11A, and escaped the wreckage through an opening in the fuselage.
Mr Patel, in an interview with Sky News, said he hoped his mother's death was painless.
'To the day I die I will think, 'What were her last moments?'' he said.
In the interview he pointed to a framed family photograph of Ms Patel at the family home and reflected on her life.
He said: 'I want to remember mum like this. I don't want to have to go and identify a burnt corpse, your own parent. How does someone, how do you ever get over that? That will be with me, that's with me for life.'
She had been devoting her time in Ahmedabad to carrying out charity work at a temple for a few months and her son had been due to meet her at Gatwick Airport.
Mr Patel described his mother as 'very strong' and a woman 'who really loved her family' and added: 'The thing about my mum is her bond with her faith. It's unbreakable.
'She had ultimate faith… and in times of stress she would always say God's name… So, I know that upon take-off, I know that she was saying his name. It's unimaginable even in my worst nightmare.'
More than 270 people were killed following the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash, 241 on the plane.
The co-pilot of Air India may have made a fatal error, causing the crash, Captain Steve Scheibner, an aviation expert, later claimed.
Mr Patel and his wife, who are due to fly to India on Saturday night to give a DNA sample to help identify his mother's remains, said he felt 'neglected' by Air India as they would only offer him a flight but not accommodation leading him to opt to travel with another airline.
Air India said in a statement: 'Air India stands in solidarity with the families of the passengers who tragically lost their lives in the recent accident.
'Our teams on the ground are doing everything possible to extend care and support during this incredibly difficult time.
'As part of our continued efforts, Air India will be providing an interim payment of ₹25 lakh or approximately £21,000 each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor, to help address immediate financial needs.
'This is in addition to the ₹1 crore or approximately £85,000 support already announced by Tata Sons. All of us at Air India are deeply saddened by this loss.'
