Family says Ontario dentist was aboard Air India flight that crashed after takeoff

Sharif Hassan · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 12:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 13

The Canadian national believed to beryllium connected an Air India formation that crashed soon aft takeoff is simply a dentist from Mississauga, Ont., her household has confirmed.

The hubby of Nirali Sureshkumar Patel said she was connected committee the London-bound formation that crashed Thursday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 240 people.

Patel's dental session referred The Canadian Press to the husband, who said that helium was successful the process of booking question to India for himself and the couple's one-year-old child.

"That was my wife," helium said. "I americium not successful a authorities to talk close now."

He declined to supply his afloat sanction and requested privateness for the family.

The level crashed successful a residential country of Ahmedabad, a metropolis of much than 5 cardinal radical successful northwestern India.

Among the dormant were astatine slightest 5 students staying astatine a aesculapian assemblage hostel wherever the level crashed. A section infirmary said it had received 186 bodies.

At slightest 1 idiosyncratic survived the crash, according to a doc astatine the hospital. India's location curate said helium met the subsister successful hospital.

It marks the country's worst aviation catastrophe successful decades.

Victim was a volunteer, believed successful giving back

Prime Minister Mark Carney said helium was "devastated" to larn of the clang and was receiving regular updates connected the situation, confirming 1 Canadian was connected the flight.

The premier curate added that Canadian transport officials are successful adjacent interaction with their planetary counterparts.

Patel, the Canadian dentist, graduated from a dental assemblage successful India earlier moving to Canada, according to a biography posted connected the website of her clinic, the Heritage Dental Centre.

WATCH l Warning: Graphic footage: 

She was a hardworking idiosyncratic who believed successful giving backmost to the assemblage and volunteered astatine a escaped dental campy each year, the leafage reads.

"The feeling that my enactment has made a quality successful someone's beingness brightens my day," Patel is quoted arsenic saying astir wherefore she became a dentist.

Victor Campagn, the manager of the gathering wherever Patel's bureau is located adjacent Centennial Park Boulevard and Eglinton Avenue W., said helium feels unspeakable for the household arsenic she had 2 young children.

"She was amazing, ever happy, I person ne'er seen her upset," helium told CBC News.

Friend Sumana Anand met Patel successful Mississauga successful 2017. She said they studied unneurotic for a licensing exam required to signifier arsenic a dentist successful Canada. 

Patel had an inspiring enactment ethic and ever had a affirmative outlook, Anand said. 

"Despite challenges, she ne'er mislaid anticipation oregon determination," she told CBC Radio's Metro Morning connected Friday. 

She said she wants radical to retrieve Patel arsenic idiosyncratic who lived with passionateness and kindness. 

"She taught america to cherish each infinitesimal and enactment each other," Anand said.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said successful a societal media station that helium was saddened to perceive of Patel's death.

"On behalf of the radical of Ontario, I widen my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of each victim. We are keeping you successful our thoughts during this hard time," Ford wrote.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the clang "heartbreaking beyond words."

"In this bittersweet hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected," helium said successful a societal media post.

A connection from King Charles said that helium and Queen Camilla are "desperately shocked by the unspeakable events."

"Our peculiar prayers and deepest imaginable sympathy are with the families and friends of each those affected by this appallingly tragic incidental crossed galore nations," the King said.

Model of level included successful Air Canada's fleet

The formation was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons and 7 Portuguese nationals successful summation to the lone Canadian, according to Air India.

The level crashed 5 minutes aft takeoff astatine 1:38 p.m. section time.

Indian tv quality channels reported that the level crashed connected apical of the eating country of a aesculapian assemblage hostel and visuals showed a information of the craft atop the building, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 students and injuring astir 50 others.

The level was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the archetypal clang of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.

Air Canada has 8 Boeing 787-8 craft successful its fleet and 32 787-9 Dreamliners. WestJet has 7 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners successful its fleet.