Ahmedabad plane crash LIVE: Toll around 290; 11 victims identified from DNA

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Ahmedabad plane crash: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seeks corrective measures

Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that once the reason for the Ahmedabad plane crash is found, corrective measures need to be taken to protect lives in the future.

Vadra, who is on a two-day visit to Kerala to inaugurate various developmental projects in her Lok Sabha constituency, told reporters here that the whole nation was grieving over the lives lost in the crash.

"We should be united in our grief and provide as much solidarity as we can to the families of the passengers and others, including medical students, who lost their lives in the incident. It is a moment where we need to stand together and just provide solidarity," she said.

The Congress MP further said that it was also important to find "what went wrong".

"It is being investigated. I am sure the investigating agencies will in the next few days enlighten the nation as to what happened. Then in the future, whatever corrective measures need to be taken, will be taken to protect people and lives," she said.

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Son's surprise visit turns out to be his last for Ahmedabad man

Happily returning home after dropping his son and daughter-in-law at the Ahmedabad Airport following their surprise visit, little did Anil Patel know that soon he would be waiting for a DNA match to collect their remains from the hospital.

Patel's son Harshit and daughter-in-law Puja were among the 242 people on board the London-bound Air India flight that crashed into a complex of a medical college in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.

The couple, who lived in the UK, had come to Ahmedabad after two years to surprise Patel. Harshit moved to the UK for better prospects and was working with an e-commerce company. Both fell in love in college and got married later.

"They came 10 days ago to surprise me," Patel said as he broke down adding that Puja had suffered a miscarriage and wanted to consult a doctor in India.

"I saw them off at the airport. I left after they went inside. I only got to know about the crash from the news," he added.

Indian diaspora in UK start fundraising for crash victims' families

The Indian diaspora in London has been rallying around to coordinate fundraisers to support the UK-based family members of the Ahmedabad plane crash victims, including urgent assistance for two orphaned children.

Arjun Patoliya, among the 241 victims of the Air India plane crash, travelled to Gujarat to fulfil his late wife Bharti’s wish to immerse her ashes in India after she recently lost her battle with cancer.

Their friends and family launched an online GoFundMe fundraiser in support of their two daughters on Friday and have already raised more than half of the GBP 500,000 target.

“In just 18 days, two young sisters — only four and eight years old — have lost both of their beloved parents,” said Vinod Khimji, from Inspired Elements furniture maker, where Arjun worked.

“Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks. Arjun was a valued member of our team at Inspired Elements and also a close family friend for many years. This campaign, set by me and the family, aims to provide security, stability, and love in the years ahead,” he said.

All funds raised are intended to be placed in a legal trust or to be managed by the appointed legal guardians of their daughters to support their education and emotional needs.

A similar effort has been launched for the family of Abdhi Patel, a resident of Northampton in England, who leaves behind her husband, Pankaj, and their eight-year-old son, Meer Patel.

“Abdhi was a beloved wife, a devoted mother, and a kind soul who touched the lives of everyone she met,” one of her friends said.

Her friends and family have raised nearly GBP 2,000 towards funeral expenses and helping the family adjust to the tragic loss. PTI 

Ahmedabad plane crash: DNA samples of six victims match, say hospital officials

Authorities of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have so far identified six victims on the basis of the DNA samples and initiated the process to hand over the bodies to the relatives, officials said on Saturday.

Earlier, eight victims, who were identified by their relatives and did not need DNA profiling as their bodies were not damaged, had been handed over to their families by the hospital, they said.

Doctors on Saturday said around 270 bodies have been brought to the hospital from the air crash site so far.

A London-bound Air India flight from Ahmedabad crashed into a medical college hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area of the city moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon.

The victims included 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members on board the flight. One passenger miraculously escaped. PTI 

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