Tributes to woman and family killed in India crash

Tributes have been paid to Raxa Modha

Tributes have been paid to a woman, her grandson and her daughter-in-law who died in a plane crash in India.

More than 240 people were killed on Thursday when a Boeing 787 bound for Gatwick crashed shortly after take off in Ahmedabad.

Raxa Modha, from Wellingborough, her two-year-old grandson, Rudra, and Yasha Kamdar were believed to have been flying back to England for a memorial service for Ms Modha's late husband. It is understood that another member of the family might also have been on board.

In a statement, the Modha family said: "It is with deep sadness that we have lost three members of our family.

"Raxa Modha, Yasha Kamdar and Rudra Modha lost their lives on flight AI 171 on 12 June.

"Our hearts are broken. We are at a complete loss.

"We thank members of the Wellingborough community for their support."

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Jaya Tailor, who lives in Wellingborough, said she knew Ms Modha personally and that she was "a people's person".

"She helped her husband build a business," she said.

"She loved having people around her.

"She was kind, generous, loving, a real people's person."

It is thought Ms Modha's husband, Kishor Modha, died in April from cancer in India and a memorial for him was planned for 22 June in Wellingborough.

Only one passenger, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, survived the crash.

Indian, Portuguese and Canadian nationals were also on board.

Among the 53 Britons to have been killed were a family who lived in Gloucester, three members of the same family who lived in London, and a married couple who ran a spiritual wellness centre in the capital.

'A complete loss'

It is believed that Raxa Modha's husband, Kishor Modha, recently died in India from cancer

Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough, called for people to come together.

"I extend my deepest condolences to their families, friends and all those affected by this heartbreaking event," he said.

"May their memories be a blessing, and may we come together to support one another in this time of grief."

The Wellingborough District Hindu Association also described the incident as "devastating news".

"We have learned with deep sorrow that some family members living in Wellingborough were among the victims," it said in a statement.

"The loss of life is always a tragedy, and it is particularly poignant when it touches our own community so directly."

The association said it would hold a special prayer gathering for all those who lost their lives in the crash on Friday from 18:30 to 19:30 BST at Sanatan Hindu Mandir on Highfield Road.

The emergency services and officials worked late into Thursday night and into Friday to clear debris and search for the plane's black box.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson, said: "We are supporting the family of British nationals who were on board Air India flight AI171."

The plane crashed into a residential area shortly after take off