Indian Origin London Man Fulfills Wife’s Final Wish, Dies in AI Crash While Returning to Daughters

Arjun Manubhai Patolia had come to Gujarat with a heavy heart, carrying his late wife’s ashes and a promise to honour her final wish. Just a week earlier, 36-year-old Patolia had lost his wife, Bharatiben, in London. Before her passing, she had asked him to return her ashes to her homeland, to be immersed in the sacred waters of river Narmada.

Last week, Patolia arrived in Vadiya, his ancestral village in Amreli district, to perform her final rites. Surrounded by grieving relatives, he completed the rituals and prepared to return to the UK, where his two young daughters, aged four and eight, were waiting for him. But tragedy struck before he could fly back to home to them.

Patolia boarded Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It plummeted into a hostel building in a densely populated neighbourhood, erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke across the Meghaninagar sky.

Patolia was among the 241 people killed in what has become one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history. Only one person survived the crash.

Videos of the incident showed the aircraft struggling to gain altitude before crashing into the BJ Medical College hostel complex. The impact triggered a massive blaze that engulfed the wreckage and surrounding area.

On board the doomed flight were 230 passengers, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens, and 12 crew members. According to officials, the sole survivor, a British-Indian man, is being treated for serious injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met injured survivors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The identification of victims is ongoing, with authorities deploying a team of 70 to 80 doctors to carry out post-mortem examinations.

Aviation investigators, forensic experts, and emergency personnel remain at the crash site, working to determine what led to the catastrophic failure. A full-scale inquiry has been launched, though Air India has yet to specify the cause of the crash. Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft lost altitude rapidly shortly after take-off.

Air India stated that it is providing emergency assistance to the families of the victims and has committed to supporting the ongoing investigation.

Suggest headlines Arjun Manubhai Patolia had come to Gujarat with a heavy heart, carrying his late wife’s ashes and a promise to honour her final wish. Just a week earlier, 36-year-old Patolia had lost his wife, Bharatiben, in London. Before her passing, she had asked him to return her ashes to her homeland, to be immersed in the sacred waters of river Narmada.

Last week, Patolia arrived in Vadiya, his ancestral village in Amreli district, to perform her final rites. Surrounded by grieving relatives, he completed the rituals and prepared to return to the UK, where his two young daughters, aged four and eight, were waiting for him. But tragedy struck before he could fly back to home to them.

Patolia boarded Air India Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on Thursday afternoon. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It plummeted into a hostel building in a densely populated neighbourhood, erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke across the Meghaninagar sky.

Patolia was among the 241 people killed in what has become one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s recent history. Only one person survived the crash.

Videos of the incident showed the aircraft struggling to gain altitude before crashing into the BJ Medical College hostel complex. The impact triggered a massive blaze that engulfed the wreckage and surrounding area.

On board the doomed flight were 230 passengers, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens, and 12 crew members. According to officials, the sole survivor, a British-Indian man, is being treated for serious injuries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met injured survivors at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The identification of victims is ongoing, with authorities deploying a team of 70 to 80 doctors to carry out post-mortem examinations.

Aviation investigators, forensic experts, and emergency personnel remain at the crash site, working to determine what led to the catastrophic failure. A full-scale inquiry has been launched, though Air India has yet to specify the cause of the crash. Preliminary findings suggest the aircraft lost altitude rapidly shortly after take-off.

Air India stated that it is providing emergency assistance to the families of the victims and has committed to supporting the ongoing investigation.​