UK-Based Indian Man Among 265 Dead in Air India Crash After Fulfilling Wife’s Final Wish
Arjun Manubhai Patolia, a 36-year-old London resident, was among the 265 victims of the tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash in Ahmedabad. The crash occurred just minutes after takeoff on Thursday and is considered one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history.
Patolia had traveled to India to fulfill the final wish of his late wife, Bharatiben, who passed away a week earlier in London. Honoring her request, he brought her ashes to Gujarat and immersed them in the sacred River Narmada near his ancestral village of Vadiya in Amreli district.
He was returning to the UK to reunite with his two young daughters, aged 4 and 8, when the aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people, including 53 British nationals and 169 Indian passengers. Only one passenger survived the crash.
Krish Jagdish Patolia, a relative, said, “It’s heartbreaking. We lost both of them in one week.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the identification of victims is ongoing. Forensic teams and aviation authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
The tragedy has deeply affected communities in both India and the UK. Air India has confirmed emergency support is being provided to affected families, though the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
