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The Canadian citizen who believes he is on an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff is a dentist who worked in Missauga, Ontario, his family has confirmed.
Nirali Sureshkumar Patel’s husband said he was aboard the flight to London that crashed in the northwest of India on Thursday, killing at least 240 people.
The Patel Dental Clinic sent the Canadian press to the husband, who said he was in the process of reserving trips to India for him and the son of a couple.
“That was my wife,” he said during a brief phone call. “I’m not in a state to speak at this time.”
He refused to provide his full name and requested privacy to the family.
The plane crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad, a city of more than five million people. Mark the worst aviation disaster of India in decades.
Among the dead were at least five students who were staying in a medical college shelter where the plane crashed. A local hospital said he had received 186 bodies.
At least one person survived the accident, according to a doctor in the hospital. The doctor identified the survivor as Vishwashkumar Ramesh and said he had multiple injuries throughout his body, but seems to be out of danger. The news channels in India issued a video that seemed to show Ramesh covered with blood and get away from the accident place, with people running behind him.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” upon learning of the accident and that he was receiving regular updates about the situation, confirming that a Canadian was on the flight.
The prime minister added that Canadian transport officials are in close contact with their international counterparts.
Patel, the Canadian dentist, graduated from a dental university in India before moving to Canada, according to a biography published on the website of his clinic, The Heritage Dental Center.
He was a working person who believed to give back to the community and offered himself as a volunteer in a free dental camp every year, says the page.
“The feeling that my work has made the difference in someone’s life illuminates my day,” Patel is cited by saying why he became a dentist.
The Prime Minister of Ontario, Doug Ford, said he was “sad” to know that a Canadian was involved in the plane crash and offered condolences to the families of all the victims.
“We keep you in our thoughts during this difficult time,” he said in a publication on social networks.
Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, called the “heartbreaking beyond words.”
“In this sad time, my thoughts are with all those affected,” he said in a publication on social networks.
A statement by King Charles said he and Queen Camilla are “desperately surprised by the terrible events.”
“Our special prayers and the deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this terribly tragic incident in many nations,” said the king.
The flight carried 169 Indians, 53 British and seven Portuguese citizens in addition to the Canadian lonely, according to Air India. The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff at 1:38 pm local time.
The Indian television channels reported that the plane crashed at the top of the dining room of a shelter of the Faculty of Medicine and the images showed a part of the plane on the building.
The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first blockade of a Boeing 787 plane, according to the database of the aviation security network.
Air Canada has eight Boeing 787-8 aircraft in its fleet and 32 787-9 Dreamliners. The airline said the aircraft “has been performed in a very safe and reliable way” when asked if the Air India accident has raised some security concern.
Westjet, who has seven Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in his fleet, also said he has “full confidence” in his staff, training and the security standards of his plane.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press
