A doctor and his family were among the fatalities in the Air India crash that claimed over 240 lives on Thursday.

Dr. Prateek Joshi, a radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital, his wife, and their three children were confirmed to be on board the Boeing 787 flight bound for London Gatwick that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, according to the Derby Hindu Temple in Pear Tree.

In a social media post, the temple said it was praying “to give strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense loss.”

The ill-fated Flight AI171 was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. It crashed just 30 seconds after departure, following a mayday call to air traffic control. The aircraft went down in the Meghani Nagar area of western India.

Neil Ryan, 42, a former neighbor of the family, told the BBC the news was “absolutely devastating,” describing them as “just the nicest family.”

“The family were really unassuming, genuine kind people, honestly. It’s heartbreaking,” he said, recalling Dr. Joshi’s warm gesture of gifting a bag of treats when they moved out.

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) NHS Foundation Trust, where Dr. Joshi worked, expressed its sorrow.

“We are profoundly and deeply saddened,” said UHDB chief executive Stephen Posey. “Prateek was not only an excellent doctor for whom nothing was too much trouble, but also a warm, smiling and kind man who was a hugely liked and valued member of the team.”

The hospital said Dr. Joshi relocated from India to Derby in 2021 and had been with the trust for four years.

A spokesperson for the Derby Hindu Temple said, “Dr Joshi, a radiologist at Royal Derby Hospital, who lived in Derby, were devotees of our Mandir and supported us through their sincere service and dedication.”

“We pray to Lord Shiva to grant eternal peace to the departed souls and to give strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense loss.”

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