A Canadian man has revealed that his dentist wife was one of the victims of the Air India crash on Thursday.
A London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plunged into a busy suburb just seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport, claiming the lives of all but one passenger.
Doctor Nirali Patel was identified as the lone Canadian national on board the flight, reported CTV News.
Her husband told The Canadian Press that he was in the process of booking a flight for himself and their one-year-old child to India.
‘That was my wife,’ he said while declining to provide his full name. ‘I am not in a state to speak right now.’
Patel, who lived in Etobicoke, worked at a the Heritage Dental Care clinic in Mississauga.
She got her dental degree in India in 2016 and received her license in Canada in 2019, according to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.
Her dental practice website said she chose to work in the field because, ‘The feeling that my work has made a difference in someone’s life brightens my day!’
Nirali Patel (pictured) was identified as the lone Canadian national on board the London-bound flight
The London-bound plane carrying 242 passengers crashed just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat
She moved to Canada after graduating from Government Dental College and Hospital in India.
Her work biography also states, ‘Once per year, Dr. Patel offers free treatments to her patients and often volunteers at a free dental camp.’
Family friend and community leader Don Patel told the Canadian news outlet she was visiting India for four or five days.
‘It’s absolutely shocking. There’s no words in this grievance. She was coming back. And we heard this tragic thing happened as soon as we wake up,’ he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted about the crash, sending his condolences to families of those on board.
‘Devastated to learn of the crash of a London-bound Air India plane in Ahmedabad, carrying 242 passengers — including one Canadian,’ he said.
‘My thoughts are with the loved ones of everyone on board. Canada’s transportation officials are in close contact with counterparts and I am receiving regular updates as the response to this tragedy unfolds.’
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also confirmed the lone Canadian victim was from his province.
Her husband told The Canadian Press that he was in the process of booking a flight for himself and their one-year-old child to India
‘I’m saddened to learn that a Canadian from Mississauga, Ontario was among those lost in the tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad,’ he said on X.
‘On behalf of the people of Ontario, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of every victim. We are keeping you in our thoughts during this difficult time.
The Gatwick-bound plane carrying 242 passengers, including 53 British nationals, crashed just moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner careened back down to earth in the densely populated Meghani area of the city just minutes after leaving the runway.
Terrifying CCTV footage shows the plane appear to lose control before it starts rapidly descending with a high nose angle and landing gear deployed.
Air India confirmed that 241 of the 242 people aboard flight AI171 died in the crash.
British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the sole survivor of the crash after making an incredible escape.
Astonishing footage showed the passenger with visible injuries hobbling away from the scene of the crash. He reportedly sustained injuries to his chest, eyes and feet.
Patel, who lived in Etobicoke, worked at a dental clinic in Mississauga. She got her dental degree in India in 2016 and received her license in Canada in 2019
The passenger, who was in seat 11A when the plane came down in a residential area of Gujarat, recalled: ‘Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.’
‘When I got up, there were bodies all around me,’ he told local media. ‘I was scared. I stood up and ran.
‘There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.’
The pilot of the Air India flight frantically warned the plane was ‘losing power’ just moments before it crashed into a building.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had 8,200 hours of flying experience, desperately cried ‘Mayday…no thrust, losing power, unable to lift’ before the aircraft went down and hit a residential property.
