Among the scores of passengers who lost their lives in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 were people who travelled to pay final respects to their relatives.
The Air India flight AI171, which was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed into a medical college hostel, killing 241 on board and several others on the ground. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The lone survivor on the flight was identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
While the authorities are hoping to ascertain the cause of the tragedy, the sorrow of the relatives who lost their loved ones in the horrific tragedy remains.
London resident came to immerse wife's ashes
One of them was a UK-based Indian man who came to Gujarat's Amreli district to immerse his wife's ashes in the Namrada. Arjun Manubhai Patolia's wife Bharatiben died in London last week and he came to his hometown for her funeral rites as requested by her before her death. Their two daughters, aged eight and four, are still in the UK. He was going back to London when the AI717 flight crashed in Ahmedabad.
UK chef was returning after attending father's funeral
Prakash Chandra Menaria, a UK-based chef, came to his hometown in Udaipur's Menar for his father's funeral two months ago. After his long leave, he was returning to London when the tragedy occurred. According to ETV Bharat, his return ticket was cancelled twice. His friend Vriddhi Chandra Menaria joined him when the ticket was booked the third time. Both of them died in the Boeign 787-8 crash.
Trio of family was headed to London for funeral
Another family from Porbandar was travelling to London to attend a funeral was also among the deceased. Yasha Kamdar, 32, her one-year-old son Rudra Modha and her mother-in-law, Raksha Modha, 58, boarded the flight to pay last respects to her father-in-law Kishor Modha who died due to cancer.
Yasha's husband Kishan Modha had a narrow escape as he postponed his trip. Citing the relatives, The Times of India reported that the family was planning to settled down in Gujarat after folding up their business in London.