Candlelight prayer held in Brampton Hindu temple for Air India crash victims

Residents in Brampton are paying tribute to those lost in yesterday's tragic plane crash.

A candlelight prayer was held at a Hindu temple in Brampton Friday night to remember the victims of the Air India crash.

Devotees gathered at Hindu Sabha Mandir to pray for the 241 passengers aboard the London-bound Boeing 787 who died Thursday, after their plane crashed into a medical college hostel after takeoff in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad.

Dozens more on the ground, including four medical students, were killed as a result of the crash.

The lone Canadian national on board the flight was identified as 32-year-old Nirali Patel, who lived in Etobicoke with her husband and young son and worked as a dentist in Mississauga.

Maehu Lama, the president of the temple, said Patel, whose parents and brother live in Brampton, was a regular visitor.

“We have lost our own family member,” Lama said. “All the Hindu devotees, they are our family members. So that’s why it’s very shocking for everybody.”

Lama said he was still in shock and couldn’t believe what had happened.

“We have gathered to pray for the families, in support of those families who have lost their loved ones,” he said. “This was very tragic.”

A family friend told CTV News Toronto on Thursday that Patel was visiting India for four or five days.

Ashok Kapoor, the former president of the temple, said that it was necessary to hold the prayer event as many members had been impacted by the tragedy.

“That is what the purpose of this evening is to pay the condolences and pray that God gives strength to the families to be at this loss,” he said.

One passenger survived the crash after jumping out of the emergency exit, sustaining burns and other injuries. Viswashkumar Ramesh spoke to India’s national broadcaster on Friday, saying he was still in disbelief that he’s alive.

On Friday, investigators recovered the black box on a rooftop near the crash site. Information recorded in the device could reveal what caused the crash.

With files from The Associated Press