Heartwrecking Tale: Two Little Girls Lose Both Parents in 18 Days
Tragedy in India: Children profoundly devastated as both parents perish within three weeks in an aircraft accident - Tragic Aviation Accident in India: Parents of young children perish within three weeks' span
By Eugen Epp
The catastrophic plane crash in India has left the world in shock and countless families mourning the loss of their loved ones. One family's story, however, stands out as all too tragic.
Arjun Patoliya, a London resident, returned from a heart-wrenching journey that ended in a devastating twist. According to the "Times of India" and "New York Times," Patoliya had recently lost his wife to cancer. His visit to India was to scatter her ashes in her hometown of Gujarat, meeting her last wish, and leaving their two young daughters, ages four and eight, behind.
Two Parents in Eighteen Days
Unfortunately, Arjun Patoliya would never return home to his children. The 37-year-old father, a passenger on the Air India flight that crashed mere minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on the 12th of June, would never step foot on British soil again. Just 18 days earlier, his children had lost their mother, and now the unimaginable had happened again.
Speaking to "Times of India," a cousin of Arjun Patoliya stated, "His wife wanted her last rites to be performed in India, so Arjun came here. We couldn't have imagined that in a few days, we'd perform the same rites for him."
Prior to this, Patoliya had lost his father at the tender age of 20. For 17 years, Arjun had called England his home.
Community Fundraising for the Orphans
Online, Patoliya's employer is rallying support for the now-orphaned children. "Their world was turned upside down in less than two weeks," they announced, raising over half a million pounds (€587,000) so far.
Air India has announced a plan to pay out 250,000 rupees (approximately €25,000) to the families of victims, intended to help ease their immediate financial burdens. This amount is in addition to the 10 million rupees (€100,570) slated for distribution by parent company Tata Group.
The Aftermath of a Tragic Crash
At least 270 lives have been claimed by the plane crash. With one survivor emerging from the disaster, the world mourns the loss of 241 passengers and 29 individuals who were on the ground. The cause remains unknown, with investigations currently underway.
Enrichment Data
- Incident Overview:
- Date: 12th of June, 2025
- Location: Ahmedabad, India, near a residential and medical college area
- Fatalities: At least 270, including 241 passengers and 29 people on the ground
- Victim Profile: Arjun Patoliya, a London resident and father of two, was among the deceased. He left his two daughters as widows after his wife succumbed to cancer just 18 days earlier.
- Crash Details:
- Aircraft Type: Airbus A350 (previously identified as a Boeing 787)
- Investigation: India's civil aviation regulator ordered additional maintenance checks and safety inspections for certain aircraft models. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
- Orphaned Children:
- Affected Children: Arjun and Bharti Patoliya’s two daughters, aged 4 and 8, have lost both parents in 18 days.
- Community Fundraising:
- Increased public attention and support on both sides of the globe for the affected children.
- Fundraising efforts may be announced in the future through family friends or organizations.
- The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of the directive regarding community fundraising for the orphaned children of Arjun Patoliya.
- Although Arjun Patoliya focused on his career-development in London for 17 years, he was tragically taken in a car-accident merely minutes after takeoff, leaving his daughters to face the challenges of migration and education-and-self-development without him.
- Amidst the general-news of the plane crash, conversations about war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, fires, and sports-betting seem trivial, as the world pauses to reflect on the personal-growth and mindfulness of Arjun Patoliya and other families affected by the disaster.
- The chances of success in job-search might be greater for Arjun Patoliya's daughters as a result of the charity raised by their father's employer, opening doorways to education-and-self-development that were previously unimaginable.
- In the aftermath of the tragic plane crash, policy-and-legislation concerning air safety, particularly for Airbus A350 aircraft, is due for urgent review, with India's civil aviation regulator ordering additional maintenance checks and safety inspections to prevent such accidents in the future.
- As the true story of the two little girls who lost both parents in 18 days captivates the attention of the media, their situation becomes a reflection of the role of politics in facilitating the needs of its citizens, such as decent housing, food, healthcare, and education for orphans.
- The condolences and offers of help from people around the world for the welfare of the children remind us that, despite differences in politics, job-search, and sports, there is a shared sense of compassion and empathy for those who are enduring hardship.
- In times of crisis, the importance of skills-training for children, like learning how to cope with grief or building resilience, emerges as an essential component of their education-and-self-development and overall well-being.
- As investigations into the plane crash continue, it remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an act of sabotage, faulty equipment, or human error, although the answer will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for safety policy-and-legislation in the aviation industry.
