Officials have released the first body of a British Air India crash victim to her family. A funeral for Elcina Alpesh Makwana, 42, was held on Sunday and attended by family members
The burial of the “sweet” and “gentle” mother of two comes just three days after she told her parents not to worry as she boarded the flight to Gatwick Airport. She was described by family members as “a gentle soul” and incredibly hard-working.
Mrs Makwana, who was visiting India for dental work, is the first of 53 British nationals to die in the crash whose remains have been returned by authorities.
Authorities were able to identify her body through DNA testing.
Her remains were taken to Pensionpora Cemetery Vadodara in Gujarat on Sunday morning for funeral rites.
Her husband Alpesh, 52, and her two children, aged seven and 11, flew out to India and arrived on Saturday ahead of a Roman Catholic Service today.
Mrs Makwana’s uncle told the Telegraph that she had called her father prior to take-off to reassure him all was well.
Joseph Patelia said: Before take-off, she called her father to say she’d boarded safely and would call again once she landed in London.
“That call never came. She vanished just like that leaving us in shock, in tears, unable to believe what we were hearing.”
