Children orphaned as father killed in Air India plane crash days after mother dies

A father returning home after scattering his wife's ashes was among the victims of the Air India crash, leaving his two young children suddenly orphaned.

Flight 171 was carrying 242 people when it struck a medical college hostel less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India.

Twenty-nine people on the ground were killed, taking the total number of victims to 270. A hospital official confirmed 270 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but DNA testing is being conducted to identify the bodies.

Just one passenger, a British man from Leicester, survived what has become the worst aviation crash in a decade.

India's aviation minister has said a government panel reviewing the crash will complete its assessment in three months.

"We have also given the order to do the extended surveillance of the 787 planes. There are 34 in our Indian fleet," aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, without saying if the checks will apply to all Indian airlines.

Mr Naidu said the plane started descending after reaching 650 feet. Every theory as to what happened will be looked into, he said. But in the meantime, he has instructed the airline to assist the families of passengers to ensure there is no delay in handing over the bodies of those who had died.

Among the victims, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya had been visiting India to fulfil his wife Bharti's "final wish" to be laid to rest in her hometown of Gujarat.

Bharti had died just over two weeks ago, following a "courageous battle with cancer".

A GoFundMe page, set up to raise funds for their two children, says: "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."

A fundraiser, which has topped more than a quarter of a million pounds, confirms all money raised will go directly into a legal trust, "to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls' needs".

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Black box has been found

India's aviation ministry says workers have recovered the digital flight data recorder - one of two black boxes on the plane, from the rooftop of the building where it crashed.

This box has data on engine and control settings, so will be able to show if there was a loss of engine power or lift after takeoff.

The investigation will initially focus on the engine, flaps and landing gear, a source told Reuters on Friday.

A possible bird-hit is not among the key areas of focus, the source said, adding that teams of anti-terror experts were part of the investigation process.

There is no information yet on the cockpit voice recorder, the other black box, which will be a crucial part of understanding what caused the plane to crash.

The country's civil aviation regulator has ordered Air India to do additional maintenance and enhanced safety inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft equipped with General Electric's GEnx engines.

(c) Sky News 2025: Children orphaned as father killed in Air India plane crash days after mother dies