Officials say the Boeing 787 aircraft had 242 passengers and crew on board when the accident occurred.
A couple who lived in Auckland for five years have been named as victims of the India plane crash that killed more than 240 people.
Only one passenger survived after Air India flight 171, bound for London, crashed into a medical college hostel in the city of Ahmedabad shortly aftertakeoff.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was carrying 242 people. The sole survivor, who sat in seat 11A, jumped from the emergency exit.
Rachna and Rozar Christian, an Indian couple who lived in Auckland between 2016 and 2021 before moving to London, have been identified as two of the victims.
Venisha Christian, a friend of the couple, told the Herald she was still in denial over the accident.
Christian said she essentially grew up with Rozar at the same church in Ahmedabad, western India.
Rachna moved to New Zealand in 2016 on a student visa, where she studied at the Imperial College of New Zealand in central Auckland. Husband Rozar moved to be with her shortly afterwards.
The couple lived in Mt Roskill during their stay and worked part-time at a cleaning company.
Plane crash victims Rachna and Rozar Christian on holiday in the South Island in 2021.
“We used to catch up at prayer meetings every Friday [in Auckland] ... and we were in constant contact on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp,” Christian said.
“Due to visa conditions, they were not able to get residency and had to leave New Zealand. They couldn’t extend their work visas. I think they were in India for six months before moving to London.”
She said the couple, in their 30s, had been flying in and out of India over the past year with the hope of starting a family.
Their extended families, who live in India, had given their DNA to help identify their bodies. However, local media had already printed the names of all the passengers.
Rachna and Rozar Christian, who died in the Air India flight 171 plane crash, lived in Auckland for several years before moving to London.
“I’m still in denial. It can’t be possible,” Christian said.
“They were really nice, really genuine and good-hearted people. It’s very hard to explain what happened. It’s so wrong.”
Another friend, who did not want to be named, told the Herald they were a “beautiful couple” and said many people in Auckland knew them well.
“They were going back to London after a visit to India when this tragedy struck.
“Their uncle and aunt live in Auckland and are heartbroken by the news. We all are devastated as friends [and have had] no updates on the recovery of their bodies yet.”
Vigil for victims
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran attended the candlelight vigil held at the Shree Radha Krishna Temple, in Eden Terrace, for the victims of Air India flight 171 crash. Photo / Dean Purcell
A candlelight vigil was held at the Shree Radha Krishna Temple in central Auckland this evening for the victims of the Air India crash.
Minister for Ethnic Communities Mark Mitchell was among dignitaries at the gathering. Outgoing Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran was also present.
The vigil began with prayers as people continued to stream in to pay their respects.
The mood remained light, but sombre as those acknowledged the tragedy that had unfolded.
The people gathered, businessmen in their suits, mothers with their children, temple members in their finest cultural dress, and others in the 150-strong crowd, devoting over half an hour to songs of worship and prayers.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell at the Candlelight Vigil held at the Shree Radha Krishna Temple in Eden Tce for the victims of Air India flight 171 crash. Photo / Dean Purcell
Mitchell spoke about New Zealand’s close relationship with India and the importance of the community here.
“It’s always hard to find words at times like this.
“You’re always there for others, we want you to know we’re here for you,” he said.
Air NZ chief Greg Foran said he had spoken to the head of Air India and he knew there would be many at the airline, as well as bereft families, who would be struggling.
“This is a pretty tragic set of circumstances,” Foran said.
“This will be difficult,” he said of the emotional impact.
“To the Indian community in New Zealand, my heart goes out to you.”
Consul General of India in Auckland Dr Madan Mohan Sethi reiterated the publicly available information about the crash.
“At this time, let us be united in grief,” Sethi said.
The event finished after about an hour and a half. The priest, Dr Devram Raval Bhai, led prayers.
Act Party MP Parmjeet Parmar spoke to the Herald afterwards: “Members of the Indian diaspora are experiencing unimaginable grief.”
“Anything that happens in India doesn’t exactly just stay isolated to India, because of that diaspora,” she said.
Members of the associate board and a few others who lingered after the event said they did not know if any friends or family of the victims who had lived in New Zealand were present.
