Two girls orphaned after dad dies in Air India crash

Two young girls have been orphaned after losing their father in the Air India plane crash on July 12, two weeks after their mother died from cancer.

As per heartbreaking reports, 37-year-old British national Arjun Patoliya was among the 270 people who lost their lives during last week’s aviation disaster, the worst in India for over three decades. An investigation into what exactly happened with the aircraft – which crashed less than a minute after taking off – is ongoing, with the plane having experienced difficulties from the second it left the runway.

Arjun had been visiting the country to fulfill the last wishes of his late wife Bharti’s in scattering her ashes in her hometown of Gujarat. Bharti, it’s said, died two weeks ago after a “courageous” battle with cancer.

Arjun’s passing now leaves he and Bharti’s two young daughters, aged just four and eight, orphaned.

With very little in the way of concrete answers thus far, the grieving families of those who lost their lives in the crash are still reeling in shock. Among them is the family of Arjun and Bharti, who have now suffered two tragedies in less than 20 days.

In the wake of Arjun and Bharti’s deaths, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money to go towards their children’s futures.

“In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters — only 4 and 8 years old — have lost both of their beloved parents,” the bio of the fundraiser reads.

“Their mother, Bharti Patoliya, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Fulfilling her final wish, her husband, Arjun Patoliya, travelled to India to scatter her ashes in her homeland in Gujarat. But on his journey home to their daughters, tragedy struck again — Arjun was among those lost in the Air India Flight Tragedy in June 2025, shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad.

“Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.”

As stands, over £576,000 has been raised, all of which “will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls’ needs”.

Speaking to the Indian Express, Arjun’s mother, Kanchan Patoliya, said either she or her younger son, Gopal, will assume care of the girls.

She explained: “Gopal arrived at Ahmedabad on Friday evening. Once we complete all the rituals, we will sit down and decide the future of both girls. If needed, I will fly to London to stay at my younger son’s place and take care of my granddaughters.”