Father of two boarded ill-fated Air India flight to London 7 days after wife’s death

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers including 53 British nationals, crash-landed in Ahmedabad on June 12.

Just days after performing the last rites of his wife in India, London-based Arjun Patolia boarded the Air India flight that crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday. He was returning home to reunite with his two young daughters.

Authorities have launched a probe into one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies. (AFP)

According to a report by Daily Mail, Patolia had travelled to Gujarat’s Amreli district to fulfil the final wish of his wife, Bharatiben, who had died just a week earlier. Her last request was for her ashes to be immersed in her native village, something Patolia honoured with devotion, carrying her floral urn and performing the rituals alongside extended family.

After days of mourning and religious ceremonies, the 38-year-old boarded Air India flight AI-171, bound for London Gatwick, hoping to return to his daughters, aged four and eight.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, including 53 British nationals, crashed in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar neighbourhood around 1.40 pm local time, just minutes after take-off.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers including 53 British nationals, crash-landed in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar neighbourhood at approximately 1.40 pm local time.

CCTV footage shows the aircraft losing altitude rapidly with its landing gear deployed before crashing into a densely populated area.

Authorities begin probe

Authorities have launched a probe into one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site as investigators began piecing together what led to the catastrophic crash of the London-bound flight, which went down just minutes after take-off.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on social media that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched an inquiry into the crash, following international protocols laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

(With agency inputs)