Air India plane crash: British father killed after fulfilling wife’s dying wish

Dubai: Two young British sisters, aged four and eight, have been left orphaned after their father, Arjun Patoliya, died in the Air India plane crash while returning from Gujarat, India.

Patoliya had travelled there to fulfil his late wife Bharti’s final wish — to have her ashes scattered in her homeland.

After holding a funeral and carrying out the last rites, Patoliya boarded Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on Thursday, June 12.

Tragically, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area of Meghani Nagar just five minutes after takeoff, following a mayday call. The aircraft struck a medical college and burst into flames.

According to India’s civil aviation authority, all but one person on board died. At least 279 people were killed in total, including passengers, crew members, and residents on the ground.

Among the victims were 52 British nationals — 20 of whom were believed to have worshipped at the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, where a multi-faith vigil was held.

“The husband went to perform the rituals in India and was returning home. Now, two little girls are left without parents,” said Anjana Patel, the mayor of London’s Harrow borough, during the vigil.

“We can’t imagine the pain their families and friends must be feeling. All we can do is pray and support them.”

The girls are now mourning the loss of both their parents within just a couple of weeks — a devastating turn that has shattered their young lives.

Arjun Patoliya immersed Bharti’s ashes in the Narmada River at Nilkanthdham in Poicha, 60 km from Vadodara, and at their native Vadiya village in Amreli district.

‘Never imagined we’d perform Arjun’s last rites just days later’

Patoliya’s mother lives in Surat. His daughters are now in the care of his younger brother Gopal, who also lives in London.

Only last Sunday, the Patoliya family had gathered to perform Bharti’s final rites - an emotional and heavy moment. They had just about started to process their loss when tragedy struck again.

“My sister-in-law wanted her last rites to be performed in India. We had never imagined that within days, we would be performing Arjun’s rites too,” his cousin, Sanjay, told The Times of India.

Arjun’s mother gave her DNA sample to help identify his body so it could be brought back to Vadiya for the last rites.

Arjun had lost his father in 1990 at a very young age and was raised by his mother, who sold cutlery and household items to make ends meet. He studied up to grade 12 at Swaminarayan Gurukul in Surat before moving to the UK at the age of 20. He had been living in London for the past 17 years.

There, he ran a furniture shop and met Bharti, who worked as an accountant. They married and built a life together, raising two daughters. Bharti hailed from Gujarat’s Kutch district. Her family is now settled in Ahmedabad.

In the wake of the tragedy, family and friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Patoliya’s daughters, aiming to provide them with "security, stability, and love in the years ahead."

The campaign reads, “These two beautiful girls have lost both parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.” More than £55,000 has already been raised towards the £300,000 target.