Tributes paid in Leicester for couple killed in Air India crash

A couple who went to India to celebrate their engagement have been named among the victims of the Air India plane crash.

More than 240 people were killed on Thursday when a Boeing 787 bound for Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad.

Prayers have been taking place at a temple in Leicester on Saturday to remember the victims, including local volunteer Hardik Avaiya and his fiancee Vibhooti Patel.

Mr Avaiya, who regularly helped out at the Shree Hanuman Temple in Melton Road, was described by the temple’s secretary as a “model devotee and volunteer”.

The plane was carrying 242 people when it crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, in western India.

There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on the flight.

The Leicester temple held a hymn festival to pray for all victims and come to terms with the tragedy.

Dhaval Patel, who worked with Mr Avaiya, said: “We were on our way to pick him up when I got a call to say a plane to Gatwick had crashed in Ahmedabad.

“So we immediately checked the ticket and matched the flight number and we just cried.”

Staff said Mr Avaiya attended a couple of times a week to help with events at the temple.

Mr Patel said: “He didn’t like the limelight, he just worked in the background to get things done.

“He was jovial, liked to crack a joke. He was dedicated, hard working, very pleasant.

“He was model devotee and volunteer because he had selfless service.”

“When he left he asked the staff if the temple needed anything bringing back, that’s the kind of person he was.”

While the staff at the temple heard about the crash early on, news of the casualties only came through afterwards and confirmation came from Mr Avaiya’s friends.

Mr Patel said: “We were absolutely devastated, its like losing a family member.

“Events like this people come together and give their respects and gives us some sort of a release from the feeling of shock and feeling distraught.

“It’s a feeling of helplessness, emptiness, normally if something goes wrong, we can sort things out but this has been very difficult.”