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Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Heartbreaking final selfie of doctor's young family starting a new life in Britain
Smiling for the camera, this is the selfie a doctor took with his wife and children moments before they all perished in the Air India crash. Dr Prateek Joshi, a radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital, had flown to India just two days before Thursday's crash to be reunited with his wife Dr Komi Vyas, their twin five-year-old sons, Nakul and Pradyut, and eight-year-old daughter Miraya. The five were finally set to start a new life together in the UK after a period apart, with a photo from the plane showing their excitement. Sitting in their seats at Ahmedabad airport, Dr Joshi beams to the camera next to his wife of 10 years, who had recently given up her job at Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. Their three children, sitting across the aisle, follow suit with huge grins on their faces. But little could they have known that disaster was about to strike as the plane plummeted to Earth just seconds after take-off, killing all but one onboard. Derby Hindu Temple, where Dr Joshi was a regular worshipper, confirmed in a tribute posted online that the family of five were among the 169 Indian nationals killed. In a post on Facebook, a spokesman said: 'It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that Dr Prateek Joshi and his family were on board the Air India flight that tragically crashed en route from Ahmedabad to London. They added: 'We pray to Lord Shiva to grant eternal peace to the departed souls and to give strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense loss.' University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS confirmed to the Telegraph that Dr Joshi had worked as a radiology consultant and that a tribute was being prepared. Dr Deepak Kaladagi, a former classmate and close friend of Dr Joshi, shared a photo of the family on holiday with an accompanying caption: 'May their souls rest in peace and God give strength to their family to bear this loss.' Some 52 Britons, 169 Indians, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national died in the crash. Two sisters who had visited their grandmother to celebrate her birthday were among those killed. Dhir and Heer Baxi, both in their 20s, had travelled from their homes in London to Ahmedabad for a surprise visit and were returning when the flight crashed and burst into a fireball less than 60 seconds after take-off. Their family and friends said that 'everything has vanished' in their world after the 'young talents' were killed on the plane. Dhir, a designer, graduated from Parsons Paris art and design school in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, while Heer worked in London after graduating from Barnard College, a liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University, with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and east Asian languages and cultures. Heer worked as a project leader in the investment and renewable energy sector and acted as the Columbia Venture Community chapter lead for London. She had previously worked in Hong Kong and Singapore, where the sisters are believed to have grown up. For her graduate fashion show, Dhir designed a collection of imagined uniforms for women in the mafia based on real stories from the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai - Stories of Women From the Ganglands. Her Instagram profile reads 'Paris and London', and most of her posts are photo shoots of her clothing with various collaborators. Her family said she split her time between Paris and London and was about to return to the French capital for a show. Their elder brother, Ishan Baxi, told The Telegraph: 'I can't express what my complete family is going through – shell shocked, not coming to terms is what I can say right now 'Both had a natural aura of helping and always cared about family values. They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world, tension-free. Along with their parents, they both had a proclivity towards modernisation without changing traditional values. 'Both my sisters know what is right and what is wrong, thus whatever work they carried out, in academics or fashion, they always got success with no conflicts amongst peers or seniors.' On Heer's last Instagram post from November 2024, a comment was added on Thursday evening that said: 'RIP young talent', alongside a photo of a model wearing one of Dhir's dress designs with a traditional gajra, a flower garland, in her hair. Nirali Sureshkumar Patel, a dentist from Mississauga, Ontario, has been identified as the single Canadian victim killed. Mrs Patel worked at the Heritage Dental Centre and had a one-year-old child. Her husband told Canada Press: That was my wife. I am not in a state to speak right now.' Another family member said: 'She was very nice. She was very gentle, but this is not a good time.' City councillor Natalie Hart said in tribute: 'I'm deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Patel, a dentist who practised in Ward 5, has been identified as a victim of the Air India tragedy.' 'My prayers are with her loved ones and everyone in our community who will be mourning her.' Mrs Patel earned her dental degree in India in 2016, immigrated to Canada and received her licence to practice in 2019. A family of three from Gloucester who died in the crash were 'widely loved and deeply respected', their relatives said in a statement issued through their Imam. They were identified as father Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa. It is understood that Mr Nanabawa, who grew up in Newport, was returning to his home in Gloucestershire with the family. Abdullah Samad, a headteacher of their primary school, said Sara was a 'ray of sunshine' who 'lit up the classroom'. He said the married couple were well known for their charity work and generosity. 'They touched lots of people and they will be missed by lots of people,' he told the BBC. 'They helped fundraise for the humanitarian efforts in Gaza and medical care for poor individuals in India. That was part of their service to the community,' he said. The couple ran an outsourcing services business, Iceberg, with bases in both Gloucester and Ahmedabad. Ms Vorajee was also a director at Peace Inclusion, a grassroots organisation that works to build bridges between communities and promote understanding of Islam through education. A community leader supporting their family said: 'During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind. 'No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world. 'May their cherished memories provide comfort, and may they rest in eternal peace.' Also onboard the doomed Air India flight were Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio. The couple had posted on social media about their 'magical experience' in the country just hours before take-off. In a video posted on social media from their boutique hotel in the city, the night before their flight, Fiongal, who described himself as a 'fashion designer-turned-spiritual adviser' said: 'So it's our last night in India and we have had a magical experience really, there has been some quite mind blowing things have happened.' His husband Jamie, a yoga teacher and former dancer, added: 'We really have been on quite a journey and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel and we have just had the most delicious Tali food. It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you'. The couple also shared a video of them at the airport just as people were boarding the plane and another in which Fiongal said that they were 'feeling very, very, very happy'. The couple ran The Wellness Foundry in south London and Ramsgate, Kent, which offers psychic readings, tarot, Reiki and yoga. In January, Fiongal appeared on ITV's This Morning to talk about people's auras and what they mean. The couple's Wellness Foundry described it on Instagram as their 'biggest gig so far', adding that it was 'very nerve-wracking' but that Fiongal was 'honoured to chat about one of his favourite topics to such a big audience'. Others feared dead include a family of four from Wembley who had been to visit a relative in the village of Diu. Hemaxi Shantilal had been to visit her sick mother with her husband, Girish Lalgi, their three-year-old son Adair and one-year-old daughter Takshril. Ms Shantilal spoke to a friend from the village just as she was boarding the plane. Photographs posted on social media show the couple marrying in a lavish Indian ceremony four years ago. Another passenger has been identified as Adnan Master, 30, from Forest Hill, east London, who had been visiting relatives in India with his wife and child. It is understood he was travelling back to London alone. Mr Master was described by friends as cheerful, funny, intelligent and hard-working. One friend, who declined to be named, said he was 'probably one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet' and worked two jobs – one at a DIY store in east London and another as a delivery driver. The friend added: 'He was just one of the hardest-working people you'd ever meet. He just didn't stop, and everything he did was for his family. Everything he spoke about was for his family, 'I want to make my child have a good life'.' A British family of four – Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam, and their young children, Zayn and Amani – were also onboard the Air India Syed, 35, has worked for nearly a decade as a brand ambassador at Harrods, while Mr Syed worked as a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel. The family were reportedly returning home from a holiday in India. The father-of-two previously received a Team Member of the Year award in 2017 while working for the Comfort Inn London in Westminster. Another passenger onboard the Air India flight was Raxa Modha, who was recently widowed. The 55-year-old had flown to India with her daughter-in-law, Yasha Kamdar, and her two-year-old grandson to fulfil her late husband Kishor's wish to live out his last days in his homeland. The mother-of-three, who was returning to her home in Northamptonshire, had been in India for an extended period of time to support her husband while he battled an illness. Their son, Kishan Modha, was due to return to the UK on a later flight. A family friend told MailOnline: 'It's incredibly sad, the whole family is already grieving Kishor's death. 'Kishan, fortunately, was getting on another flight, but we don't know what has happened to the others.' She was described by neighbours on Thursday as a 'lovely lady'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
West Australian
13-06-2025
- General
- West Australian
Air India crash: Entire family tragically killed after posting selfie from inside jet moments before takeoff
Years of sacrifice to build a better life for his family were wiped away in moments after an Indian expat, his wife and three children died right after posting a haunting image from on board the doomed Air India flight. Beaming smiles and unbridled excitement were the order of the day as Dr Prateek Joshi snapped a selfie from inside the plane just before take-off, on a journey to relocate his family to London. Working in the UK for over six years, Dr Joshi reportedly endured long periods separated from his wife Dr Komi Vyas, and their three children, twin five-year-old boys Nakul and Pradyut and their daughter, eight-year-old, Miraya. In their bid to create a new life, the final journey to their new home was about to begin. But it was a trip that would turn to tragedy. Air India Dreamliner flight 171 to London's Gatwick airport was the chariot to their end goal, but moments after takeoff, disaster struck, and all but one of the 242 passengers and crew were killed as the jet slammed into a local training hospital in Ahmedabad. Dr Joshi's family had lived in Rajasthan's Banswara and Udaipur, the region hit hardest by the devastating crash death toll, and Dr Vyas had only resigned from her job in the days leading up to the flight, according to NDTV . 'The entire town is grieving,' a close family friend told local news sources. 'They were a warm, aspirational couple who wanted the best for their children.' Dr Vyas and Dr Joshi had both previously worked at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur, with a spokesperson saying that 'Komi (Vyas) had quit her job recently to join her husband in London'. The ill-fated flight climbed into the sky after leaving Ahmedabad airport on Thursday but was only airborne for around 32 seconds before it dropped and crashed, exploding into a fireball at 1.38pm local time. A British passenger was the lone survivor after he climbed clear and walked away from the wreckage. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old man, was rescued from seat 11A and is currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, according to local officials. 'We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,' Air India announced soon after the crash. Speaking to local media, Mr Ramesh described the horror of seeing bodies all around him before his rescue. 'There were bodies all around me, there were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance,' he revealed to News18 . 'The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He is under treatment. We can't confirm the final death toll yet, as the crash occurred in a residential area and that number may rise,' Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told media. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was 'stunned' by the tragedy and is in touch with ministers and authorities. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,' Mr Modi said via X.
Perth Now
13-06-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Haunting image as entire family killed on Air India flight
Years of sacrifice to build a better life for his family were wiped away in moments after an Indian expat, his wife and three children died right after posting a haunting image from on board the doomed Air India flight. Beaming smiles and unbridled excitement were the order of the day as Dr Prateek Joshi snapped a selfie from inside the plane just before take-off, on a journey to relocate his family to London. Working in the UK for over six years, Dr Joshi reportedly endured long periods separated from his wife Dr Komi Vyas, and their three children, twin five-year-old boys Nakul and Pradyut and their daughter, eight-year-old, Miraya. In their bid to create a new life, the final journey to their new home was about to begin. But it was a trip that would turn to tragedy. Air India Dreamliner flight 171 to London's Gatwick airport was the chariot to their end goal, but moments after takeoff, disaster struck, and all but one of the 242 passengers and crew were killed as the jet slammed into a local training hospital in Ahmedabad. Dr Joshi's family had lived in Rajasthan's Banswara and Udaipur, the region hit hardest by the devastating crash death toll, and Dr Vyas had only resigned from her job in the days leading up to the flight, according to NDTV. 'The entire town is grieving,' a close family friend told local news sources. 'They were a warm, aspirational couple who wanted the best for their children.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Dr Vyas and Dr Joshi had both previously worked at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur, with a spokesperson saying that 'Komi (Vyas) had quit her job recently to join her husband in London'. The ill-fated flight climbed into the sky after leaving Ahmedabad airport on Thursday but was only airborne for around 32 seconds before it dropped and crashed, exploding into a fireball at 1.38pm local time. A British passenger was the lone survivor after he climbed clear and walked away from the wreckage. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old man, was rescued from seat 11A and is currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, according to local officials. 'We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,' Air India announced soon after the crash. Speaking to local media, Mr Ramesh described the horror of seeing bodies all around him before his rescue. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. 'There were bodies all around me, there were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance,' he revealed to News18. 'The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He is under treatment. We can't confirm the final death toll yet, as the crash occurred in a residential area and that number may rise,' Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told media. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was 'stunned' by the tragedy and is in touch with ministers and authorities. 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected,' Mr Modi said via X.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Saddest photos ever': Family's final photo before Air India plane crash
A family shared a heartbreaking selfie before boarding the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The family of five from Rajasthan, India, posted the happy picture ahead of the shocking tragedy, The Sun reported. Udaipur-based doctor Komi Vyas had just quit her job to join her husband Prateek Joshi in London along with their three kids. The picture shows Mr Joshi and Ms Vyas with beaming smiles along with their children on board the flight, in what one X user said 'is one of the saddest photos ever taken'. Mr Joshi had moved to London some time ago, and the rest of the family was on their way to join him, NDTV has reported. 'Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London,' a spokesperson for Pacific Hospital, where Ms Vyas worked, said. Neighbours have told NDTV that Mr Joshi's father is a well-respected radiologist in the city. 'They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London,' Mr Joshi's cousin, Nayan, said. 'Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. 'Several other members of both families went to see them off.' Ms Vyas' brother told NDTV the couple had been married for 10 years. Air India Flight AI171 had been heading to London Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a hostel used by doctors on Thursday local time. There were 242 people on board, including 53 Brits and 11 children. More than 200 bodies have been recovered so far, while one Brit, miraculously, survived. Haunting footage of the plane's final moments shows it before it crashed into a fireball. A formal investigation into the crash has now been opened by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. 'The takeoff was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift,' Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV. 'Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.' British man Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, is so far understood to be the only surviving passenger. Incredible footage shows him walking away from the plane's wreckage almost unscathed. 'I just got out of the plane, it exploded,' he said, speaking in Hindi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: 'The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.' Air India has confirmed that 241 of the 242 people aboard the plane died following the crash. The airline added that it 'offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased'.
NDTV
12-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Smiling Selfie On Ill-Fated Plane: A Doctor Couple And Their 3 Young Children
Buried somewhere in the wreckage left behind by the horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad is a phone belonging to a family from Rajasthan. The phone may never end up being found or could have even burned up in the fireball, but a selfie it was used for will live on as a reminder of the tragedy that befell the 242 people who were aboard the aircraft. The photo marked a new beginning for the family - Komi Vyas, a doctor who worked in a hospital in Udaipur, had quit her job and was moving to join her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi, in London with their three children - and the joy on their faces was palpable. The selfie, taken by Dr Joshi on the ill-fated aircraft, shows him and his wife seated on one side, smiling, and their young twin boys and elder daughter sitting across the aisle. The boys try their hardest to smile for the camera, while their elder sister beams. People close to the family said both Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi used to work at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. Dr Joshi had moved to London some time ago and had returned to Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to take the family with him. The couple's twin boys - Nakul and Pradyut - were five years old and their daughter, Miraya, was eight. "Komi had quit her job recently to join her husband in London," said a spokesperson from Pacific Hospital. Neighbours said Dr Prateek's father is a renowned radiologist in the city, while Komi's father was an officer in the Public Works Department. "They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London. Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. Several other members of both families went to see them off," said Dr Joshi's cousin, Nayan. Dr Komi Vyas' brother, Prabuddha, said she had married Dr Prateek Joshi ten years ago. Dr Joshi also has a sister, who is an engineer. Losing Lift Air India 171, the flight to London that the couple and their children were on, took off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday and was in the air for just 32 seconds before it started descending and exploded in a fireball at 1.38 pm. There were 242 people - 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots - aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Updates Videos show that the aircraft was struggling to gain lift and, experts said, it appears that the engine was not being able to generate enough thrust. "The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason." Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV. As of Thursday evening, only one survivor from the plane had emerged - 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian who was returning to the UK after a visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is "stunned" by the tragedy and is in touch with ministers and authorities. "The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected," PM Modi posted on X.
