Friends and families of Leicester victims of the Air India crash that killed 241 people on board have told of their desperate search for answers. The tragedy has deeply affected the city's close-knit Gujarati community, with many residents knowing victims directly or indirectly.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on Thursday (June 12) shortly after takeoff in one of the deadliest aviation tragedies in terms of the number of British nationals killed. The aircraft struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board.
Speaking to LeicestershireLive, relatives of victims have described scenes of confusion and desperate searching as they tried to contact loved ones and piece together information about what happened. The connections throughout Leicester's Gujarati community run deep, particularly affecting areas such as Belgrave and Rushey Mead.
READ MORE: Air India crash: Fourth Leicester victim named
The couple with a future ahead
Hardik Avaiya, 27, and his fiancée Vibhooti Patel, 28, from Belgrave, travelled to India to discuss their future with family following their recent engagement. The couple had been planning their wedding and building a life together in Leicester, with Hardik working at Amazon while Vibhooti worked as a physiotherapist at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Dhavli Patel, 25, had spoken to his friend Hardik just minutes before takeoff on Thursday. He received the devastating news of the tragedy within minutes of it happening.
"We got a call from a friend saying the flight had crashed," he told LeicestershireLive. "We checked the flight details, and I had the ticket with the flight number—it matched what was in the news."
The couple had shared photos at the airport with friends before boarding.
Dhavli and his wife, Margi, 30, searched online for information about what had happened. Dhavli said: "We saw the videos and pictures—it was horrible, horrible."
He described his friend as someone who “was a good person," adding: "We were good friends. We used to hang out a lot and go out for food."
A temple family
Hardik had volunteered at the Shree Hanuman Temple, in Melton Road, for several years. Secretary Rajesh Patel described what happened as news of the tragedy emerged.
"On Thursday morning, as news was filtering through on the news channels, we were seeing images of the plane crash. It didn't sink in initially, but then, as people realised it was a UK-bound flight, people were becoming more anxious and worried," he said.
Hardik had found a second family among the volunteers. Mr Patel, 56, said: "Hardik has been volunteering with us for a few years. On his days off, he would often visit the temple because he didn't have any relatives in the UK, just his group of friends."
Mr Patel described Hardik as someone who preferred working behind the scenes: "He was very jovial and liked to crack a joke, but he was very calm. He didn't like the limelight and didn't want to be in the front - he was working in the background, and the job would get done.
"We met some of his friends again today, and they were all very devastated and shocked. The initial feeling was shock and devastation, then helplessness - feeling very empty and very sad."
The sole survivor
The family of sole survivor Viswash Kumar Ramesh, 39, are trying to reach India to see him and get details about his brother Ajay Ramesh, 35, who was also on the flight and is among those who died. A cousin told LeicestershireLive on Friday evening that the family were "very upset" and still trying to get flights to India.
'Everyone knows someone'
Siddharth Godhania, 37, is secretary at Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre in east Leicester, where the Ramesh family has worshipped “for a number of years now”.
Mr Godhania described how connections ran deep throughout Leicester's Gujarati neighbourhoods, which was why so many people in the city had been touched by the disaster. "Many people we've spoken to have said that they knew either directly or indirectly people on the plane. It's a journey that many of us take very often because Ahmedabad is the heart of Gujarat, and this area is basically the heart of Gujaratis in Leicester,” he said.
Prayers for the victims
On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered at the Shree Hanuman Temple for hymns and prayers for the victims. Mr Patel offered comfort through faith. He said: "In the Hindu faith, we believe in the cycle of life and death. We are holding a prayer session here so that souls are liberated from that cycle and God gives them peace."
The crash has also affected future travel plans, with approaching holidays now causing concern among the community. "People are wondering if there's an underlying fault that caused this issue and whether they should be going ahead with their holidays," Mr Godhania said.
A committee set up by India’s civil aviation ministry will report within three months on the cause of the crash. The black box, recovered from a nearby rooftop, along with voice recordings, flight data and maintenance logs, will be examined.
Four investigators from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) arrived in India on Friday night to assist. The AAIB said any release of information "rests solely with the Indian authorities".
Experts have speculated on possible causes, including engine failure, incorrect flap settings or bird strike. The cause is currently unknown.
If you knew any of those who died and feel able to share a tribute or memory, please get in touch by emailing dylan.hayward@reachplc.com
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