Air India plane crash | Newlywed’s tragedy: lost dad, then life

Lawrence Daniel Christian along with his mother at his father’s funeral. Pic/Shirish Vaktania

A 25-year-old man, Lawrence Daniel Christian, who had returned to India from London following his father's death, lost his life while flying back to the UK on the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed on June 12. His grieving aunt arrived at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Last month, Lawrence married Ayushi in London. But just days into their marriage, tragedy struck; his father, Daniel Christian, passed away in Ahmedabad on June 1. Speaking to mid-day, Lawrence's aunt said, "My nephew was working in London and had recently married a girl named Ayushi. He first went to the UK on a student visa and later settled there. When his father passed away on June 1, we informed him, and he immediately flew to India."

"He completed the funeral rituals and booked a return ticket to London on June 12. He was aboard the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff. His mother had dropped him at the airport, and he even posted a photo with her on social media. We tried calling him repeatedly after seeing the news. We rushed to the plane crash site and saw the plane completely destroyed. We lost Lawrence Christian in this crash, just days after we lost his father," she said, breaking down.