The family of one of the Air India flight 171 plane crash victims has opened up about the final call they made from on board the doomed Boeing Dreamliner – it comes as the death toll has
One of the passengers on board the doomed Air India flight 171 made a tragic final call to his family from on board the Boeing Dreamliner just moments before it crashed.
It comes as the death toll from the Air India crash has now risen to 270 following the recovery of more bodies from the disaster scene.
The airline confirmed that 241 of the 242 people on board sadly died in the horrifying crash near Ahmedabad Airport in western India on Thursday – and now hospital officials have increased that toll.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Thousands turn out for funeral of Air India pilot
Over a thousand people gathered at the funeral of Air India pilot Sumeet Sabharwal in Mumbai this morning after his body was recovered following last week’s plane crash.
Photographs showed his coffin adorned with flower garlands as loved ones and well-wishers chanted for him during an outdoor ceremony near one of the city’s temples.
As well as being a pilot, Mr Sabharwal 55-year-old also cared for his elderly father at home, and had told him just three days before the disaster that he intended to quit his job to look after him full-time.
During the service today, his visibly emotional dad stood beside his son’s coffin to lead one of the main prayer rituals, with crowds later seeing bowing their heads in respect as his procession continued through the streets.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s grieving father led the tributes (
Image:
NDTV)
Bradley Jolly
Expert details how death toll could easily have been larger
The death toll of the India Air plane crashcould easily have been even greater than the estimated 270 people, it is argued.
More than the 29 confirmed deaths of people on the ground would have been likely had it not been for the heroic efforts of Good Samaritans who rushed to help, according to Minakshi Parikh, dean of the college, struck by the Boeing 787. He praised the actions of quick-thinking employees and students, some of whom were having lunch and missed impact by inches upon the collision.
Ms Parikh believes more bodies would have pulled from the rubble had her colleagues at BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, western India, not reacted so swiftly and bravely. It is thought 29 people in the building – and on the ground below it – have been confirmed dead, in addition to 241 people on the plane itself.
Bradley Jolly
More than £400,000 raised for two young girls who have been left orphaned by the Air India crash
More than £400,000 has now been raised for two young girls who have been left orphaned by the Air India crash.
Arjun Patolia, who had two daughters aged eight and four, had travelled to see out his wife’s final wish- and died in the horror Air India crash that killed 241 passengers on board. He had been visiting the north Indian city of Amreli to scatter his late wife’s ashes in a local river.
Bharatiben had died just seven days earlier in London but during her final days she asked her husband to return her remains to India.
On his trip to India, Arjun had visited a sacred river in Hinduism, called the Narmada River. Many Hindu people have their ashes scattered in rivers to purify the soul and ensure spiritual liberation. The dad then carried out severla funeral rites with family in his village, around 150 miles from Ahmedabad.
The GoFundMe page set up to support the children reads: “In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters — only 4 and 8 years old — have lost both of their beloved parents.
“Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat. But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again — Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.
“Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.”
Bradley Jolly
Air India crash victim’s tragic five words on call from doomed flight to UK
The family of a British national who died on the doomed Air India flight has revealed the tragic last message he sent – just moments before the fatal crash that claimed 270 lives. Ramesh Patel was one of the 53 Brits on the Gatwick Airport-bound flight when the aircraft crashed just moments after take-off in Ahmedabad.
According to his devastated family, Mr Patel travelled to India every year to eat his favourite citrus fruit and had a strong connection to his roots.
On the day of the crash, he called his daughter-in-law Kajal Patel to inform her he had arrived at the airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and had a window seat for his flight back to Gatwick Airport.
Liam Doyle
Where Brits can go for assistance in Ahmedabad
Mr Falconer added that the FCDO has a reception area for Brits in Ahmedabad at the Ummed hotel, and that he has asked officials to review signage and “general arrangements” so people understand where they need to go should they require assistance.
He said: “I’ve asked officials to review the signage and general arrangements to ensure that people know where our reception centre is – the Ummed Hotel where the reception centre is is close to the airport because we thought that would be the best place to receive British nationals rather than the hospital where tragically there are no living British nationals.”
Liam Doyle
Any Brits affected by Air India crash ‘will have foreign office assistance’
Responding to a question from Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, Mr Falconer said Brits affected by the Air India disaster “will have” consular assistance should they require it.
He replied: “I can confirm that any British national who wishes the consular assistance to go through that process will have it from my officials.”
Liam Doyle
India accepts UK offer of help investigating Air India crash
Continuing his statement in the Commons, Mr Falconer said the Indian accident investigation agency has accepted the government;s offer to help investigate the crash.
He said: “The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch has accepted the UK’s offer of help, and a team of British inspectors are now on site. Our High Commissioner met the Gujarat home minister Sanghavi yesterday to offer our support. The Government continues to work tirelessly with our Indian partners to establish what happened and support all of those who are grieving.”
Mr Falconer also told MPs a British Red Cross psychological support officer is in India “helping families cope with the tragic, emotional impact”.
A British dad was originally due to fly home on the doomed Air India flight (
Image:
AP)
Liam Doyle
Foreign Office minister says government ‘in contact with all the families of British nationals’
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said the Government is “in contact with all the families of British nationals who have asked for our help”, and a team of British inspectors is in India.
He said: “We are in regular close contact with Air India about the support package that they are offering, which includes funding flights and full repatriation costs to bring loved ones home.
“I understand how frustrating it is for families who have not yet been able to lay their loved ones to rest, and I recognise the pain and frustration that this has caused. The Indian authorities are working around the clock with UK support to be able to do this.”
Liam Doyle
Foreign office minister set to deliver Air India statement to House of Commons
Foreign office minister Hamish Falconer is set to deliver a government statement on the Air India crash to the House of Commons. He’ll appear in the Commons chamber this afternoon.
Liam Doyle
Officials to investigate recordings: What do CVR and FDR mean?
Investigators have recovered CVR and FDR from the Air India wreckage, and will now investigate them.
Cockpit Voice Recordings, also known as CVR, capture audio from the cockpit, including any conversations between pilots, alarm sounds and any other ambience. The Flight Data Recorder, known as the FDR for short, logs flight data like the altitude of a plane, its speed and engine performance.
Together, the two make up the aeroplane “black box” which includes all the pertinent information telling authorities what happened in the lead up to, and potentially caused, the plane crash.
Monica Charsley
Twenty victims of the crash practiced at the same London temple
The Mayor of Harrow has revealed that 20 of the victims had practiced at the same temple in London.
Anjana Patel shared the news during a multi-faith service on Saturday at the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, northwest London.
She said: “Caring is the most that we can do at this hour. We don’t have any words to describe how the families and friends must be feeling, so what we can do is pray for them.”
Monica Charsley
Family of crash victims say they feel ‘utterly abandoned’
The family of three Brits who were killed in the devastating crash say they have been “abandoned” by the authorities.
Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were among the fatal casualties in the crash.
Some of their relatives have travelled from the UK to Ahmedabad following the tragedy.
A spokesperson for the family said: “There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital.
“We are forced to make appointments to see consular staff based 20 minutes away in a hotel, while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital.”
Another family member said: “We’re not asking for miracles – we’re asking for presence, for compassion, for action. Right now, we feel utterly abandoned.”
Zahra Khaliq
Crucial findings that will help determine cause of crash
The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) captures audio from inside the cockpit, including conversations between pilots, alarms and ambient sounds. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who heroically diverted his plane into a patch of grassland, sent out an emergency ‘Mayday’ signal shortly before the fiery collision. The CVR, which was found on Sunday, could shed some light on what exactly prompted this final message.
On Friday (June 13), the flight data recorder (FDR), which keeps a log of important flight parameters such as altitude, speed and engine performance, was pulled from the rubble. Collectively, the CVR and FDR form what is usually referred to as a plane’s “black box”.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Pilot ‘told dad he wanted to retire to take care of him’ before crash
A ‘hero’ pilot who died in the Air India plane crash had told his dad just three days before the tragedy that he wanted to retire soon, it has emerged. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal has been hailed as a ‘hero’ for his quick-thinking actions during the Boeing Dreamliner’s catastrophic descent moments after take-off on Thursday, with his split-second decision in the final seconds of his life likely having saved dozens of lives.
As it became apparent that his aircraft was in an irreversible collision course towards the ground, the 56-year-old swerved his plane onto a patch of grassland to avoid direct hit on the doctors’ hostel. Instead, part of the plane smashed into the side of the building, but a more serious catastrophe was avoided.
One pal revealed that, just three days before the disaster, Sabharwal had promised his father he would retire from flying, so he could come home and look after him full time. Family friend Lande told India Today: “Sumit had spoken to him just three days ago, saying he wanted to leave flying and come home to care for him.
“His father couldn’t say a word. His eyes were filled with tears.”
Zahra Khaliq
Investigators to examine pilots’ voice recordings
Investigators looking into the cause of last week’s crash are hoping to study the pilots’ last words after recovering the cockpit voice recorder from the wreckage.
Indian authorities said on Sunday they found the plane’s second black box, which was holding the voice recorder. The first, containing the flight data recorder, was recovered just a day after the plane crashed.
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Funeral held for local politician killed on doomed flight
Policemen led the tributes today as they carried a decorated photograph and the body of former Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani, who was one of over 240 passengers killed in last week’s air disaster.
His funeral is being held in the city of Rajkot, where he is being given full state honours.
Police officers led the tributes outside a hospital in Ahmedabad, India (
Image:
AP)
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Air India plane undergoing checks after suffering ‘mid-air technical issue’
We’ve now heard more details on the Air India plane that was forced to make a U-turn earlier today after suffering a ‘mid-air technical issue’.
The airline said in a statement that the New Delhi-bound plane landed in Hong Kong safely and was undergoing checks “as a matter of abundant precaution”.
Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a separate statement that flight AI315 returned to the southern Chinese city’s airport around 1pm.
The plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the same model as the London-bound flight that left at least 270 people dead when it crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad on Thusday.
Zahra Khaliq
Incredible moment survivor walks away from Air India plane fireball
Miracle survivor Vishwash Ramesh, 40, emerged from the fireball crash with his phone in his hand – and a wall of choking black smoke behind him after the plane crashed moments into the journey
Read more: Incredible moment survivor walks away from Air India plane fireball on mobile phone
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor in the Air India plane crash, was in seat 11A11:37Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
‘Ash was the nicest person you could ever meet’
Tributes have been paid to an ‘adored’ British man who died on the Air India plane crash which killed more than 270 people.
Ash Harrington, 27, was on the Ahmedabad to Gatwick flight on June 12 with his father and grandmother when it crashed just seconds after take-off.
Family and friends have today paid tribute to Ash, who lived in Finchley, London.
Close friend Connor Mann said: “Ash was absolutely adored by everyone.
“He’s never upset anyone in his life. Ash was the nicest person you could ever meet – he was an incredible friend and was a great laugh.
“This is a hole that will never be filled.”
Ash Harrington, 27, from Suffolk, died in the Air India plane crash (
Image:
Gofundme)
11:16Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Flight to India makes a U-turn after bomb threat
A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Hyderabad in India was forced to make a U-turn overnight after recieving a bomb threat, officials have said.
The plane had been due to arrive at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad this morning, but was not given permission to land after an email was recieved by staff on the ground.
The flight then returned to Germany.
10:38Zahra Khaliq
Expert claims ‘game-changing’ video ‘proves’ Air India jet lost power mid-air
One experienced pilot suggests the video shows grim evidence of a catastrophic power failure during the critical moments after takeoff.
Affectionately dubbed “Captain Steve” online, Mr. Schreiber is convinced that the crisper vision from the video indicates that the aircraft succumbed to a simultaneous engine failure, calling attention to what could be a key factor in one of India’s worst air disasters.
Read more: Expert claims ‘game-changing’ video ‘proves’ Air India jet lost power mid-air
09:41Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Pilot described as ‘good, quiet’ person
In tributes, colleagues described 55-year-old Captain Sabharwal as a “good, quiet person” who acted as a mentor to younger pilots.
In a call to his dad a few minutes before take-off, he told him: “I’ll call you once I reach London.”
08:53Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
‘Hero’ India Air pilot ‘saved dozens of lives’ in brave final decision before horror crash
The pilot of the doomed Air India flight has been praised for ‘saving dozens of lives’ with his final decision seconds before his plane crashed into a building full of medical students.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the impact, has been described as a ‘hero’ for diverting his plane into a patch of grassland and avoiding a direct hit on the doctors’ hostel, saving countless lives.
Read more: ‘Hero’ India Air pilot ‘saved dozens of lives’ in final decision before crash
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s final words have been revealed
08:24Zahra Khaliq
Air India forced to abort flight over mid-air issue days after horror crash
An Air India flight travelling from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to make a U-turn this morning after the pilot reported a suspected technical issue mid-air.
Flight AI315 – a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – left Hong Kong for Delhi before quickly returning to its origin as a precautionary measure.
Read more: Air India forced to abort flight over mid-air issue days after horror crash
The flight, from Hong Kong to Delhi, was forced to make a U-turn (
Image:
NurPhoto via Getty Images)
08:00Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Hopes black box could reveal vital information about doomed flight
As work continues at the crash site this week, focus will also turn to the contents of the aeroplane’s black box and cockpit voice recorder, which was retrieved on Friday.
It could reveal vital information about the engine and control settings, while the voice recorder will offer an insight into the final conversations of Captain Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kunder before the plane went down.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation into the crash, with four UK experts also having flown out to provide additional support and expertise.
The US National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting its own probe, as the aircraft was American-made.
07:27Michael D. Carroll
Expert claims ‘game-changing’ video proves Boeing jet lost power
Newly discovered footage of the horrific Air India crash provides chilling new insights, according to aviation experts, with one pilot suggesting it shows a catastrophic power failure just after take-off.
Commercial airline pilot and crash analyst Steve Schreiber said a “tiny detail” visible in the video was a “total gamechanger” – and could be the crucial evidence investigators have been seeking.
Under the aircraft’s right wing, Mr. Schreiber noticed what he characterized as a “protrusion on the belly of the aircraft”, with a “little grey dot” just beneath it.
He identified this as an indication that the plane’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) had been activated.
Read more: Expert claims ‘game-changing’ video proves Boeing jet lost power in Air India crash
Mr Schreiber believes the ill-fated aircraft experienced a dual engine failure (
Image:
AP)
07:11Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Boeing experts arrive in India
Experts from Boeing, the US aviation giant who manufactured the 787-8 Dreamliner plane involved in Thursday’s crash, have now arrived in Ahmedabad to analyse details at the crash site.
On Friday, CEO Kelly Ortberg offered her “deepest condolences” to the “loved ones of the passengers” on board the flight, and said a team from Boeing “stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”
06:29Tim Hanlon
Ex-pilot’s theory on ‘lucky’ Brit’s ‘remarkable’ Air India plane crash survival
A British passenger who was the only survivor of the Air India plane crash has told of the series of factors that allowed him to escape the “fireball”.
Vishwash Ramesh said “I still can’t believe how I survived” as he spoke from his hospital bed after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college as it crashed in a fireball on Thursday, killing the other 241 people on board. Footage showed flight AI171 to Gatwick take off from Ahmedabad airport and then fail to continue climbing before going down.
Authorities in India have begun handing over the remains of victims after identifying some through DNA testing, following one of the country’s worst air disasters.
Most of the victims were severely burned, making identification difficult, while officials say 270 bodies have now been recovered.
Read more: Ex-pilot’s theory on ‘lucky’ Brit’s ‘remarkable’ Air India plane crash survival
Vishwash Ramesh visited by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (
Image:
NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL/AF)
03:24Paige Ingram
Brit dad cheated death with last minute booking change
Owen Jackson from Saffron Walden in Essex, had been on a work trip to India and had to decide between flying back on Thursday or Saturday. In the end his colleagues said to take the Saturday flight – which would have been the same aircraft as the one which crashed on Thursday.
He has now shared the bizarre coincidence with his new flight booking.
Read the full story here.
23:21Paige Ingram
Over 400 family members have reached Ahmedabad
22:54Charlie Jones
Investigators are poring over the black box
The plane’s digital flight data recorder, or black box, was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site and India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that it had begun its work with “full force.” The black box recovery marks an important step forward in the investigation, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a social media post.
The device will reveal information about the engine and control settings, in addition to what the voice recorder will show about the cockpit conversations, Paul Fromme, a mechanical engineer with the U.K.-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said in a statement.
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21:13Charlie Jones
Frustrated families waiting for the remains of their loved ones
The victims’ families waited outside the hospital mortuary as authorities worked to complete formalities and transfer the bodies in coffins into ambulances. Most of them have expressed frustration at a slow pace of the identification process. Authorities say it normally takes up to 72 hours to complete DNA matching and they are rushing the process.
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20:43Charlie Jones
Sole survivor from the plane says he ‘can’t explain’ what happened
Speaking with local media from hospital, sole survivor Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 40, has described how he escaped the plane crash that killed everyone else on board.
Still in shock, he has admitted he “can’t explain” everything he saw as the plane fell out the sky. After the crash he forced himself out past a broken door.
He said: “The emergency door was broken, my seat is broken.”
He added: “‘It’s a miracle.”
Read the full story here.
Narendra Modi has met with the sole crash survivor (Image: NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL/AF)
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19:42Charlie Jones
100 people gather in London to pay their respects
People have gathered in London to pay their respects. Vigils honouring the dead have taken place across the country and across India.
The London vigil was held outside the High Commission of India in London on Sunday.
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19:06Charlie Jones
Painstaking work to identify the victims’ remains
Investigators are now working tirelessly to ID the remains of the victims.
DNA samples of 80 people killed in the terrible crash have been matched with families. So far the remains of 33 of them have been returned for burial, officials say.
Nodal Officer, Civil Hospital, Arvind Vijayan explains the process, “After receiving the DNA reports, the verification centre in D2 block of Civil Hospital has been activated, located in front of the Medical Superintendent’s office. When relatives arrive to collect the remains, verification is conducted there. After verification, the report is sent to the post-mortem room, and the procedure is initiated. Until then, the relatives are seated in the waiting room with a counsellor and the medical team.”
Victims’ relatives waiting outside the DNA collection centre at a hospital in Ahmedabad (Image: AP)
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17:58Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Over £500,000 has been raised for two girls left orphaned by the Air India tragedy
More than £500,000 has been raised by a GoFundMe page set up for two young sister who were left orphaned when their dad died on Thursday.
Arjun Patolia, who had two daughters aged eight and four, travelled to India to scatter his late wife’s ashes and fulfil her final wish. The dad, from London, tragically died in the horrific air disaster.
The fundraiser set up to support the children reads: “In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters — only 4 and 8 years old — have lost both of their beloved parents.
“Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat.
“But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again — Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.
“Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.”
Arjun Patoliya died on Thursday after he travelled to scatter his late wife Bharti’s ashes, leaving their daughters orphaned (Image: GOFUNDME)
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17:34Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Victim’s tragic words on call from doomed flight
Ramesh Patel, who was one of the 53 Brits on Air India flight 171 sent a tragic final message just monents before the fatal crash, according to his family. His devetated relatives revealed the British national travelled to India every year and had a strong connection to his roots.
His daughter-in-law Kajal Patel said he called her, on the day of the crash, to say he had arrived at Ahmedabad Airport and had a window seat for his flight to Gatwick Airport.
He first called her to tell her the “weight of the luggage is okay”. She later messaged him to “make sure everything is okay” and to wish him a “safe journey”.
Ramesh told her he wouldn’t ring her again and she said: “That’s fine, you just relax, don’t worry about, I will update everyone at home that you are safe in the plane”.
Tragically, he rang his family one last time to say: “I am on the plane safely” and “that it’s on time”. Kajal said she responded by saying “safe journey and we will see you in the evening”.
Read the full story here.
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16:30Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Pictured: Angry relatives demand loved ones’ bodies returned
There were distressing scenes at local hospitals as family members pleaded with the authorities to release the victims’ remains for burial.
Ayub sheikh gestures angrily as he waits for the bodies of four relatives at a hospital in Ahmedabad (Image: AP)Victims’ relatives waiting outside the DNA collection centre at a hospital in Ahmedabad (Image: AP)
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15:01Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Death toll rises to 270
Doctors in India have confirmed that 270 bodies have been recovered from the tragic Air India flight wreckage.
241 of those people are believed to have been passengers and crew on the flight, while others are people who were not onboard the doomed plane. Several were medical students who were living in the hostel where the plane crashed into.
The President of the Junior Doctors’ Association, for the local BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital, on Saturday said it had recieved the remains of 270 victims.
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13:50Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Sole survivor has given a clue as to what caused the horror tragedy
British man Vishwash Ramesh was the only person to survive out of the 242 passengers onboard the doomed aircraft.
He has since spoken from his hospital bed and said: “I still can’t believe how I survived.” He revealed details of what he could remember before the plane came crashing down.
Vishwash said: “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white. The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
A flickering light could suggest the flight experienced an electrical issue, but no causes have been confirmed by officials yet.
Read the full story here.
Survivor Vishwash Ramesh in hospital talking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: NARENDRA MODI YOUTUBE CHANNEL/AF)
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12:26Andy Lines
Crash victims families demand return of loved ones’ bodies
There is growing anger today as relatives of the Air India crash victims demand the bodies of their loved ones are returned.
There were distressing scenes at hospitals as mums, dads, sons and daughters pleaded with the authorities to release remains for burial. Among them was Abdullah Nanabawa, the father of Akeel Nanabawa, who died alongside his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara.
Mr Nanabawa, who grew up in Newport, South Wales, was flying back to his home in Gloucestershire with his wife and child. Abdullah told the Sunday Telegraph: “Release the bodies of my relatives. This is unfair. They won’t let me inside the mortuary.
“I’m his father. It’s my right to see him, no matter how broken, how burned. I have to face this.”
Read the full story here.
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11:38Elizabeta Ranxburgaj
Tragic final photo of newlywed Brit victim
Lawrence Daniel Christian, 26, who lived in London, had travelled to India after his dad died.
The 26-year-old had boarded the doomed flight to travel back home to his newlywed wife but he tragically died in the crash. Lawrence posed for a picture with his mum Raveena outside Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday, just before he was due to board the tragic flight.
His heartbroken aunt said: “We rushed to the plane crash site and saw the plane completely destroyed. We lost Lawrence Christian in this crash, just days after we lost his father.”
Lawrence Daniel Christian’s final photo with his mum before the doomed flight
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10:27Liam Doyle
Investigators arrive at Air India crash site
Multiple teams have arrived at the Air India crash site as an investigation is under way.
Central agencies including the NSG, NDRF, Indian Air Force, FSL, Fire & Rescue, AAIB, DGCA, and CISF are jointly inspecting the wreckage of the Air India aircraft.
Investigators can be seen at the scene combing through the debris to determine what led to the tragic incident.
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09:49Liam Doyle
India reels from another air tragedy after helicopter crash
Just days following last week’s shock Air India crash, the country has been rocked by another horror air incident this morning.
Seven people have been confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed in the northern Indian state of Uttarkhan, officials said. Local reports state that the aircraft was flying to the Himalayan mountains, with rescue teams immediately dispatched in a coordinated operation.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the pilot and a two-year-old child were among those killed. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will investigate the crash.
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07:22Liam Doyle
Mangled aeroplane pieces are retrieved from crash scene
New pictures taken from the scene have captured cranes removing mangled debris from the scene of the crash in Ahmedabad.
Cranes are retrieving pieces of debris from the scene (Image: Getty Images)
Indian investigators – and their British counterparts who arrived in the country yesterday – are yet to decide exactly what it was that caused the crash.
Investigators are yet to determine what caused the crash (Image: Getty Images)
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04:44Paige Ingram
Victim’s son says he’ll relive his mother’s last moments ‘to the day I die’
Manju Mahesh Patel, 79, was sitting in seat 12D on flight AI 171, the row behind the only person to survive the crash who was sitting in 11A. In an interview with Sky News, Chirag Mahesh Patel, Manju’s son, said he hopes his mother’s death was “instant” and “painless”. “To the day I die I will think, ‘what were her last moments?'” he said.
Ms Patel had been staying in Ahmedabad for the past few months doing charity work at a temple. She was due to be picked up by her son at Gatwick on Thursday night.
Chirag added: “It’s unimaginable even in my worst nightmare,” he said. “And the thing that kills me… is she was so looking forward to seeing us… she kept saying I bought this for you, I bought that, I bought the things for the kids.”
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02:14Paige Ingram
Passenger’s heartbreaking final call to her husband
A woman on the doomed Air India flight excitedly called her husband just minutes before take-off to say she would be home soon.
Nurat Jahar, 29, and care worker husband Sohail Iproyaliya had gone to Gujarat to visit family at the start of May. He had to return home to Leicester a fortnight later, and Nurat was heading back on Thursday on tragic flight AI 171,reports The Sun.
She could not wait to see her husband of five years and called him one last time on her mobile as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was taxiing on the runway ready to take off. But around an hour later, stunned Sohail was told she was dead.
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01:41Paige Ingram
Dad shares tribute to best friends killed in crash at Manchester vigil
Religious leaders of different faiths were joined by politicians and members of the public, who lit a candle and bowed their head in prayer around the statue of Mahatma Ghandi, next to Manchester Cathedral in the city centre.
At the vigil Sham Borse told of his heartbreak at the loss of Gaurav and Kalyani Brahmbhatt in the tragedy. Sham and his wife Sarika, and children Aayash, 12, and Aaria, five, all attended the vigil in Manchester to remember their friends. He was one of a number of speakers at Saturday evening’s event, attended by more than 100 people.
He told Manchester Evening News: “We were very, very close. We were such close friends. They never used to tell us that they were coming to the UK, they just used to ring us and say ‘guess where I am!’ He added: “In the morning I came to know there was a crash. Gaurav had called me to let me know he was coming in June.
“But I was not sure whether he was on the same flight. I was not expecting that he’d be on the same flight. Suddenly I started getting lots of messages from my friends. Then they got the passenger list and they saw the names, Gaurav and Kalyani. Suddenly I was very shocked. Straight away I called him, but he was not answering.”
He told how he felt it important to be at the vigil to remember those who have died. Sham added: “I came here to represent all of my friends who are here in the UK, and to convey the message to everyone, we lost our friends but not only them, we lost our wider brothers and sisters who were on the flight.”
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22:58Tim Hanlon
Air India blasted over broken planes as horror failings revealed
Air India flights were notoriously plagued with issues in the years before the tragic AI171 disaster last week, with bad publicity from a series of incidents giving the airline what an expert has said was an “exceptionally poor” reputation.
Hospital officials in Ahmedabad, in Gujarat province, western India, confirmed today that 270 people died in the disaster after the doomed flight hit a medical college hostel on Thursday shortly after takeoff – killing all but one of 241 passengers and dozens of people on the ground.
Indian officials continue to pick up the pieces this morning, with investigations underway to determine exactly what caused the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash as bereaved families wait to collect the bodies of their loved ones from a post-mortem centre.
The disaster comes three years after it was acquired and privatised by Tata steel. Prior to this, Rhys Jones, a luxury travel expert and editor of Head for Points, told The Mirror, Air India’s reputation was “extremely poor” despite it being cleared by European and US regulators. Previous incidents aboard Air India planes have seen window panels break off and passengers complain of dirty interiors.
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22:13Tim Hanlon
Tiny detail in Brit survivor’s memory of Air India plane crash may solve mystery
A British man who was the only survivor of the Air India plane crash has given a clue as to what may have caused the horrific accident.
Vishwash Ramesh has told of watching people “dying in front of my eyes”. And speaking from his hospital bed he said “I still can’t believe how I survived”. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college as it crashed in a fireball on Thursday, killing the other 241 people on board, shortly after take off from Ahmedabad airport.
Mr Ramesh was in seat 11A, next to one of the aircraft’s emergency exits. Addressing what happened before the incident, Mr Ramesh said: “When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air.
“Suddenly, the lights started flickering – green and white. The aircraft wasn’t gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
The flickering lights suggest that there could have been an electrical problem and it comes after a passenger who travelled on the plane the previous day said that electrical parts including screens on the back of seats weren’t working.
Vishwash Ramesh was the only survivor
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21:43Tim Hanlon
More than £400k has been raised for two girls left orphaned by Air India crash
More than £400,000 has now been raised for two young girls who have been left orphaned by the Air India crash.
Arjun Patolia, who had two daughters aged eight and four, had travelled to see out his wife’s final wish- and died in the horror Air India crash that killed 241 passengers on board. He had been visiting the north Indian city of Amreli to scatter his late wife’s ashes in a local river.
Bharatiben had died just seven days earlier in London but during her final days she asked her husband to return her remains to India.
On his trip to India, Arjun had visited a sacred river in Hinduism, called the Narmada River. Many Hindu people have their ashes scattered in rivers to purify the soul and ensure spiritual liberation. The dad then carried out severla funeral rites with family in his village, around 150 miles from Ahmedabad.
The GoFundMe page set up to support the children reads: “In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters — only 4 and 8 years old — have lost both of their beloved parents.
“Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband Arjun Patoliya travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat. But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again — Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.
“Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.”
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21:05Tim Hanlon
Ex-nursery headteacher who died in crash was ‘a champion for every child’
Former nursery headteacher and Ofsted inspector Panna Nagar held her family together “with her warmth and wisdom”, her grandchildren have said.
A social media post signed from her four grandchildren said: “Her work in education and numerous charities brought her around the world, her legacy is undoubtedly immense and she touched so many lives with her passion. She created an international community through her care for people and a desire to bring education to everyone.”
Ms Nagar headed Northfleet Nursery School in Gravesend, Kent, for 15 years from 2005. “Her impact will be remembered indefinitely. She poured an endless amount of love, passion and care into everything that she did”, her grandchildren said.
“Nani was the heart of the family, she held us together with her warmth and wisdom. Her house was never quiet, it was always filled with laughter, good food and Maya’s barks!
“As her grandchildren she was everything to us, she taught us that our ambitions and passions are so important, that the time we have together is sacred and precious. She shaped our lives in more ways than we can count and she will be sorely missed.”
Northfleet Nursery School said Ms Nagar was “more than just an educator she was a guiding light, an inspiration and a champion for every child and staff member lucky enough to walk through her doors”.
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20:20Tim Hanlon
Sisters’ ‘dreams, promises, aspirations vanished in seconds’ says cousin
Sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their early 20s, were returning home to London on the Air India flight after surprising their grandmother for her birthday.
Ishan Baxi, a cousin who lives in Ahmedabad, said both women had an “amazing aura” and wanted to “roam the world”.
“They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world like tension-free along with the parents, and they had proclivity towards modernisation without changing traditional values,” he said.
Both women knew “what is right and what is wrong”, Mr Baxi added.
“Right now no one is able to come (to) terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma’s birthday but, see, the tragedy – they came, they celebrated and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes,” he said
“I am unable to control my tears even now also just because I was close to them, you just imagine what emotions parents are going through right now and think about guilt the grandma would feel right now,” Mr Baxi added.
“I just want God to bless those souls, all dreams, promises, aspirations vanished in seconds.”
Heer worked a product manager and “loved statistics and finance”, while Dhir was a fashion designer who had studied in Paris, their cousin said.
The wreckage of the plane (Image: AP)
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19:53Tim Hanlon
Did problem with flaps on wings of Air India plane lead to the crash?
Aviation enthusiast Jerry Dyer said footage might have revealed what caused the deadly crash of the Air India plane.
Speaking to The Express, Mr Dyer from Big Jet TV, said: “As soon as I saw it I recognised the flap settings straight away, that is the moving part of the wing that extends at the back.
“From that video it seems that they were not extended and that means you do not have enough lift because the flaps increase the size of the wing and give the plane more lift. Without them you will not have any lift. It will take off but do so shallowly and lose altitude and ultimately crash.”
Jerry continued: “That is something that the pilot controls. The pilot inputs the setting before take-off. My biggest concern is I am sure that the systems on these aircraft are sophisticated so the system should shout back at the pilot if wrong.
He added: “Whether it was a malfunction or human error we don’t know. It is not something that you can see as a pilot, you wouldn’t know. ”
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19:11Tim Hanlon
‘I was meant to be on doomed Air India plane crash and missed it by 10 minutes’
A woman who missed her flight to London by 10 minutes after getting stuck in traffic narrowly escaped a horror crash that killed hundreds onboard.
Bhoomi Chauhan was due to fly to the UK from Ahmedabad, India, but missed the doomed Air India flight 171 after getting stuck in traffic.
Chauhan, who missed her flight by just 10 minutes, said she was “still shivering” thinking about her lucky escape, Republic TV reported. “I am completely devastated after hearing about the loss (of lives). My body is literally shivering. I am not able to talk. My mind is totally blank now after hearing all that has happened,” she said.
Chauhan said she left the Sardar Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at roughly 1.30pm after missing the flight – which took off around 1.38pm and crashed in a residential area only moments later. “My mind is totally blank. I am thankful to God. My Ganpati Bappa saved me.”
Chauhan, who lives with her husband in London and had flown to India on holiday, added: “Just because of those ten minutes, I could not board the flight. I don’t know how to explain this.”
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18:45Tim Hanlon
Vigil for crash victims hears two young girls left orphaned
People attending a vigil in London today to remember the victims heard that two young girls had been orphaned by the disaster.
Faith leaders from the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities led the service at the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London, where 20 of the victims are thought to have previously worshipped.
Harrow mayor Anjana Patel said that two young girls had lost their father in the crash, just weeks after their mother died from cancer.
Their father, Arjun Patoliya, had flown to Gujarat to scatter the ashes of his wife, Bharti. He was returning home to his daughters, aged four and eight, when the plane went down.
“The saddest incident we have got here in Harrow is one parent had already died here because of cancer,” Ms Patel said.
“The husband went to do the rituals in India and coming back, he was on board. He has left two little girls behind and the girls are now orphans. I really hope that those girls will be looked after by all of us.”
Arjun and Bharti Patoliya with their daughters (Image: GOFUNDME)
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18:15Tim Hanlon
Air India CEO says process of reuniting families with victims has started
Air India has started the process of reuniting families with victims of the plane crash says its CEO Campbell Wilson.
“Over 200 trained caregivers are now in place with each family assigned dedicated assistance along with counselling and other services,” he said in an update on X.
“We will continue to help and support the families however we can. I also updated on my visit to Ahmedabad where I visited the crash site and met with some of the families of the deceased.”
Mr Wilson also confirmed that Air India was now offering £21,000 more to the families of victims on top of the £85,000 already announced.
He continued: “The process of reuniting next of kin with their loved ones and personal effects has begun. Our teams are working closely with the families and authorities to help the reunification process and where appropriate repatriation. This is an emotional process and we ask that families be given space.”
Message from Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India. pic.twitter.com/o1wQnReCaG
— Air India (@airindia) June 14, 2025
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17:48Tim Hanlon
Air India says it is on track to complete safety checks on its Boeing 787 fleet
Air India has said it is carrying out safety checks on its Boeing 787s before they are “cleared” for future flights.
India’s aviation regulator ordered all Boeing 787s being operated by local carriers to be inspected, following the horrific crash last Thursday.
“Air India is in the process of completing the one-time safety checks directed by the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA,” an Air India spokesperson said on X.
“These checks are being carried out on the Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India, before being cleared for their next operations. Air India has completed such checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft and are on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator.
“Some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes especially those to airports with operating curfews.2
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17:13Tim Hanlon
Bodies of 11 victims from Air India plane have been DNA identified, says doctor
Indian authorities have so far matched the DNA of 11 victims of the Air India plane that crashed after take off at Ahmedabad airport, a government doctor confirmed.
Dr Rajnish Patel, medical superintendant, said: “DNA sample of 11 deceased have matched up until now. The mortal remains of one of the deceased have been handed over to the family (…).
“Two more will be handed over by today. It is a slow process and has to be done meticulously. We received one more body today recovered from the tail of the aircraft.”
He added on the condition of Vishwash Ramesh who miraculously survived the accident: “The lone survivor is fine and is recovering rapidly. He is stable.”
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16:29Tim Hanlon
Reception centre set up by Ahmedabad airport for families of British victims
A reception centre has been set up in the Ummed Hotel near Ahmedabad airport by the British High Commission to provide assistance for families and friends of British nationals who were on the Air India plane that crashed.
A British High Commission in India post on X, read: “The UK has set up a Reception Centre in the Ummed Hotel to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the plane crash on 12 June. The UK Reception Centre, near Ahmedabad airport, will be open from 0900 to 2100 every day, starting today.”
British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday. She has said that the UK and India are working together to establish the facts behind the crash and also offering support to the families of the victims.
