British Widow Flying Back to Her Husband's Memorial With Her Two-Year-Old Grandson Dies in Air India Plane Crash

A British grandmother and her two-year-old grandson have been confirmed among the victims of Thursday's devastating Air India crash, which claimed more than 241 lives just moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad.

Raxa Modha, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, had been returning to the UK with her grandson Rudra for a memorial service in honor of her late husband, Kishor Modha, who passed away in April from cancer.

Also traveling with them was her daughter-in-law, Yasha Kamdar. All three were on board Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 en route to London Gatwick that crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff on June 12.

In a statement, the Modha family said:

"It is with deep sadness that we have lost three members of our family. Raxa Modha, Yasha Kamdar, and Rudra Modha lost their lives on flight AI171 on 12 June."

"Our hearts are broken. We are at a complete loss. We thank members of the Wellingborough community for their support," the statement continues.

Family friends and members of the local community remember Raxa as a warm and deeply loved figure. Jaya Tailor, a fellow Wellingborough resident, described her as "a people's person, kind, and generous."

Mayor of Wellingborough, Raj Mishra, also paid tribute, expressing his condolences on behalf of the town, "This is a heartbreaking event for our community. May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief."

The Wellingborough District Hindu Association called the loss "devastating" and announced a special prayer gathering at the Sanatan Hindu Mandir to honor the victims.

The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office has confirmed it is supporting affected families, while recovery teams in India continue the painstaking work of identifying victims and recovering the aircraft's black box.

There were 242 passengers and crew aboard the flight, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Tragically, only one person survived.

The crash has devastated families across the UK, many of whom were returning from visiting loved ones in India.

Among the British victims were: a family of three from Gloucester; a married British couple who ran a spiritual wellness center in London; and a couple in their 70s and their 51-year-old son-in-law from Blackburn.

Air India confirmed the incident on their X page, stating that of the 242 people on board, 241 fatalities have been confirmed. The lone survivor remains hospitalized.

That survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national, has shared his harrowing story from his hospital bed. In his words, he said to local reporters:

"I don’t believe how I survived. For some time, I thought I was going to die too."

He continued, "But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive. I tried to unbuckle myself and escape from where I could. It was in front of my eyes that the air hostess and others died."

Vishwashkumar managed to wriggle out through a broken hatch on the side of the aircraft. In graphic footage circulated online, he can be seen limping along the street, dazed, with blood on his face and his T-shirt torn.

He suffered minor burns and bruises and is being treated at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. Hospital officials described his survival as "nothing short of a miracle."

Vishwashkumar had been traveling with his older brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, who was seated in another row. Ajay has not been located, and the family fears the worst.

As families across the world grapple with unimaginable grief, Air India and Boeing have launched investigations into what caused the aircraft to go down so suddenly.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the crash site and the hospital, met briefly with Vishwashkumar during his rounds. Among the many lives lost was Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat.

His family had rushed to the hospital to search for him, but confirmation of his death came later that evening from Union Minister C.R. Paatil.

Meanwhile, in Wellingborough, neighbors are lighting candles, gathering for prayers, and clinging to memories of Raxa, a grandmother simply trying to honor her husband's life, whose own journey ended too soon.