Air India: Couple Who Went to Celebrate Their Engagement in India Die in Crash That Killed 241

• Newly-engaged couple Hardik Avaiya and Vibhooti Patel, who had gone to India to celebrate, were among those killed in the tragic crash
• The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, India, on June 12, 2025
• Friends and members of the Shree Hanuman Temple in Leicester paid emotional tributes to the couple during prayer sessions

A couple who went to celebrate their engagement in India were among those killed in the viral plane crash.

The aircraft crashed near the airport in Ahmedabad, a western city in India, on June 12, 2025.

The aircraft had 242 persons on board: 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.

There was only one survivor in the plane crash, a British man named Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who sat in seat 11A in the ill-fated flight.

As reported by the BBC, the friends of the newly-engaged couple, Hardik Avaiya and Vibhooti Patel, confirmed that they were part of the victims and shared heartbreaking tributes.

The duo were devout at the Shree Hanuman Temple in Leicester, where prayers took place to mourn the victims.

Staff at the temple hailed Mr Avaiya as a devotee who weekly assisted with events at the temple.

Friends mourn newly-engaged couple killed in flight

According to friends of the couple, Me Patel was a physiotherapist, while Mr Avaiya worked in a warehouse.

The man’s colleague, Dhaval Patel, shared how he heard the sad news.

Patel 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."

Speaking of Avaiya, 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."

He added:

“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."

Families submit DNA samples to identify victims

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that some families broke down in uncontrollable tears as they were asked to submit DNA samples to help identify their loved ones who died in the tragic Air India crash.

One of the family members who dropped a DNA sample shared when the results would be ready for them to identify their brother.

According to the hospital, over 190 relatives have submitted their DNA samples, which were being verified so that they could be used to identify bodies at the crash site.

Source: Legit.ng