Family’s final selfie inside Air India plane on their way to new life in London
A family who had set off for a new life in London, couples taking their children on holiday and wellness influencers are among the Britons feared dead after Air India flight AI171 crashed.
More than 260 people were killed when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London went down in Ahmedabad less than 30 seconds after takeoff.
A heartbreaking photo of the Joshi family beaming with their three children before takeoff has been shared after the family perished in the crash.
Doctor Komi Vyas and her three children were finally leaving to join husband Prateek Joshi in London.
Joshi’s cousin said: ‘They left for Amedabad 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.’
The couple shared five-year-old twin boys, Nakul and Pradyut, and daughter Miraya, eight.
The aircraft crashed into a medical college, tearing through a dining hall on the top floor, before breaking apart and bursting into flames.
There were 242 passengers and crew members on board, Air India said. The sole survivor was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, one of 53 British nationals.
The victims have not been officially identified, with DNA tests being carried out.
A Muslim community group in Gloucester identified three of the victims as Akeel Nanawaba, 36, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, 30, and their daughter Sarah, four.
The couple ran a global recruitment agency, with business partner Shoyeb Khan Nagori telling MailOnline: ‘They were here to celebrate a family festival and to spend some time with Akeel’s father.’
Many more Britons are feared dead, including Javed Ali Syed, a hotel manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel and his wife Mariam, the tabloid said.
They were with their two young children, Amani, four, and Zayn.
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek and Jamie Meek, based in London, had been travelling in India before the crash and posted videos of their holiday on social media.
In a video posted on the official Wellness Foundry Instagram, the couple were seen waiting at an airport gate.
‘We are at the airport, just boarding. Goodbye India,’ Fiongal said. ‘My biggest takeaway is to not lose your patience with your partner. We’re going back happily, happily, happily calm.’
Greenlawe appeared on ITV’s This Morning in January to talk about wellness.
The programme’s former editor, Martin Frizell, praised his ‘vibrancy’ in an Instagram post, writing: ‘He was passionate about auras and although I’m a sceptical sort, his vibrancy and sheer enthusiasm won folk over.’
Widow Raxa Modha, 55, her two-year-old grandson Rudra, and her daughter-in-law Yasha Kamdar, are also believed to have been onboard.
The mother-of-three’s husband, Kishor, wanted to spend his final days in India. After his death, Raxa was set to fly home to Northamptonshire.
Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, said in a tribute: ‘I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends and all those affected by this heartbreaking event.’
Air India also said 169 passengers are Indian nationals, one is Canadian, and seven are Portuguese.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the crash was ‘devastating’, while his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, said it was ‘heartbreaking beyond words’.