Two young sisters are now orphans, having lost their father in the Air India plane crash. This tragedy occurred only weeks after their mother passed away from cancer.
Their father, Arjun Patoliya, had traveled to India to conduct his wife Bharti's funeral. He fulfilled her final wish by scattering her ashes in Gujarat. He then boarded the Air India flight, heading to Gatwick to return to his daughters, who are four and eight years old.
The Air India AI-171 flight took off from Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat at 1:39 pm local time on Thursday, June 12th. Tragically, the plane issued a mayday call and crashed into a residential area of Meghani Nagar just five minutes after takeoff, according to India's civil aviation authority.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college before bursting into flames, resulting in the death of almost all passengers. Images and videos from the city showed thick smoke rising from the wreckage as emergency services responded.
The aircraft carried 230 passengers and 12 crew members. Among them were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens, and one Canadian, as reported by Air India.
A fundraising campaign has been initiated by family and friends to support the two girls, aiming to provide them with "security, stability, and love in the years ahead." The campaign highlights the devastating loss, stating that the girls' lives have been irrevocably changed in a short period.
The GoFundMe campaign has already raised over £55,000, with a target of £300,000.
Indian investigators have recovered a second black box from the wreckage of the Air India flight. They are continuing to search the debris for evidence. The flight data recorder was found shortly after the first black box was recovered.
Rescue workers have completed their search of the crash site and are now looking for any remaining missing individuals in the surrounding buildings. They are also seeking any evidence that might explain the cause of the crash.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site in his home state of Gujarat on Friday, where he was briefed on the rescue operations. He also met with some of the injured who were receiving treatment in the hospital.
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