Arjun Patolia lived in London with his wife Bharati and their two young daughters, aged eight and four. When Bharati passed away recently, she asked that her ashes be placed in a pond in her home village of Vadia, in Gujarat’s Amreli district.
Arjun flew to India to carry out her last wish and held a memorial service there. After finishing the rituals, he booked a flight back to London, leaving his daughters with friends in the UK.
On Friday, Arjun boarded Air India flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport. Tragically, he never reached home.
Read more: “If I Give Up Now, I Might Never Recover’” — A Brother’s Search After Air India Crash
The Crash
- Flight details: 242 people were on board, including 10 crew members and 2 pilots.
- The plane took off from Ahmedabad but climbed only about 672 feet. Just 32 seconds after take‑off, it lost lift and crashed into a building on the BJ Medical College campus in the Meghani Nagar area, very close to the airport.
- Casualties: By Thursday evening, only one survivor had been found—40‑year‑old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British‑Indian traveler. Air India later confirmed that the other 241 people on board, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, had died. Several doctors working in the building were also killed.
Reactions
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Air India’s parent company Tata Sons, called it “one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history.” He expressed deep sorrow and promised support for the families of those who died.
Impact on the Family
Arjun’s daughters have now lost both parents in less than a month. His mother, who lives in Surat, and neighbors in London say the family is in shock.
This heartbreaking accident shows how quickly life can change and underscores the importance of helping the affected families in their time of need.
