Sisters who travelled to surprise their grandmother and a couple who lost their only son in a previous air tragedy have been named among the British victims in the Air India crash as their families wait for answers on what caused the disaster.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in a fireball on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed.
The black box was recovered from a rooftop near the crash site on Friday, and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident.
A radiologist from Derby who had a “newly discovered love of fish and chips” was on the flight with his family, the city’s Hindu Temple said.
Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague who worked closely with him said.
Dr Rajeev Singh said: “He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District.
“It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.”
Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims.
A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an “amazing aura” and wanted to “roam the world”.
“They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,” Ishan Baxi said.
Both women knew “what is right and what is wrong”, he added.
“Right now no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma’s birthday but, see, the tragedy – they came, they celebrated and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.”
A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London, said.
They were returning from a religious celebration in India.
“This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,” Mr Guruji, 53, said.
“After what has happened to their son as well – it’s just terrible to think about.”
A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said.
Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter, Sara Nanabawa, were “widely loved and deeply respected”.
Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director for an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, Imam Abdullah Samad said.
Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, India, according to the company’s website.
Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the “glue” that held their family together.
“They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,” she said.
“This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.”
Their Imam Abdullah Samad said: “This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful, young daughter.
“They gave their time and energy to awareness campaigns and fundraising efforts, always guided by a strong sense of responsibility to help others.
“They were widely loved and deeply respected. His quiet generosity, her warmth and kindness, and their daughter’s bright, joyful spirit made a lasting impact on everyone who knew them.”
Air India confirmed 241 of the 242 people on board the plane were killed when it crashed and struck a medical college in Ahmedabad.
The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people “dying in front of my eyes”.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh told DD News “I still can’t believe how I survived” as he spoke from his hospital bed on Friday.
The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was “stuck in the air” shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white – adding: “It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with Mr Ramesh to offer consular support, Downing Street said.
The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
There are fears the number of people killed on the ground could rise.
At least five medical students were killed and about 50 injured.
A committee formed to investigate the root cause of the crash will report within three months, the Indian government’s ministry of civil aviation said.
The committee will have access to flight data, cockpit voice recordings and maintenance records.
Aviation experts have speculated about the possible causes of the crash, from both engines failing – possibly due to a bird strike, as happened in the so-called Miracle on the Hudson in 2009 – to the flaps on the aircraft’s wings not being set to the correct position for take-off.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of each of those killed in the crash.
The company said it would also cover the medical costs of the injured and provide support in the “building up” of the medical college.
Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad airports to provide support in the wake of AI171’s crash.
