Canadian killed in Air India crash was Ontario-based dentist: family
The Canadian citizen believed to be on an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff is a dentist who worked in Mississauga, Ont., her family has confirmed.
The husband of Nirali Sureshkumar Patel said she was on board the London-bound flight that crashed in northwestern India on Thursday, killing at least 240 people.
Patel’s dental clinic referred The Canadian Press to the husband, who said that he was in the process of booking travel to India for himself and the couple’s one-year-old child.
“That was my wife,” he said during a brief telephone call. “I am not in a state to speak right now.”
He declined to provide his full name and requested privacy for the family.
The plane crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad, a city of more than five million people. It marks India’s worst aviation disaster in decades.
Among the dead were at least five students staying at a medical college hostel where the plane crashed. A local hospital said it had received 186 bodies.
At least one person survived the crash, according to a doctor at the hospital. The doctor identified the survivor as Vishwashkumar Ramesh and said he had multiple injuries all over his body but seems to be out of danger. News channels in India aired video that appeared to show Ramesh covered in blood and walking away from the crash site, with people running behind him.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “devastated” to learn of the crash and was receiving regular updates on the situation, confirming one Canadian was on the flight.
The prime minister added that Canadian transport officials are in close contact with their international counterparts.
Patel, the Canadian dentist, graduated from a dental college in India before moving to Canada, according to a biography posted on the website of her clinic, the Heritage Dental Centre.
She was a hardworking person who believed in giving back to the community and volunteered at a free dental camp every year, the page reads.
“The feeling that my work has made a difference in someone’s life brightens my day,” Patel is quoted as saying about why she became a dentist.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “saddened” to learn that a Canadian was involved in the plane crash, and offered condolences to the families of all victims.
“We are keeping you in our thoughts during this difficult time,” he said in a social media post.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the crash “heartbreaking beyond words.”
“In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected,” he said in a social media post.
A statement from King Charles said that he and Queen Camilla are “desperately shocked by the terrible events.”
“Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across many nations,” the King said.
The flight was carrying 169 Indians, 53 Britons and seven Portuguese nationals in addition to the lone Canadian, according to Air India. The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff at 1:38 p.m. local time.
Indian television news channels reported that the plane crashed on top of the dining area of a medical college hostel and visuals showed a portion of the aircraft atop the building.
The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first crash of a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
Air Canada has eight Boeing 787-8 aircraft in its fleet and 32 787-9 Dreamliners. The airline said the aircraft have “performed very safely and reliably” when asked whether the Air India crash has raised any safety concerns.
WestJet, which has seven Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in its fleet, also said it has “full confidence” in its staff, training, and the safety standards of its aircraft.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Spirits maker Diageo will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the U.S., the company announced on Thursday.
The facility, which bottles Crown Royal products, will close in February in a move aimed at improving its North American supply chain.
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About 200 jobs will be affected.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh, Diageo’s president of North America supply, said in a statement.
Diageo said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.
The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
McIntosh added the company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Toronto police say a 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly striking two men with his car Wednesday evening.
Officers say they responded to reports of a collision in the area of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard in the city’s North York neighbourhood just before 10:30 p.m.
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Police say two men got into an argument, leading to one man getting into his car and hitting the other man with it.
They say the man then put his car into reverse, striking a second man.
A man in his 50s was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the second man, in his 20s, had minor injuries.
Police say the suspect from Markham, Ont., faces several other charges as well, including two counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
A court document shows a Lindsay, Ont., man facing charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment was carrying a crossbow when he was confronted by a tenant.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, is also facing assault charges in the incident on Aug. 18 — a fact that has generated widespread interest in the case.
Police information filed in court alleges that Michael Kyle Breen damaged a window and screen at McDonald’s home and carried a crossbow.
The court document says the 41-year-old Breen is charged with break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order.
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Police have said that Breen, who is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing next week, was already wanted for unrelated offences.
McDonald, the 44-year-old resident, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he allegedly “did endanger the life” of Breen.
Premier Doug Ford blasted the decision to charge the apartment resident, saying last week that it shows “something is broken.”
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson wrote in a statement Wednesday that he recognizes the incident has generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson wrote that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but the law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced.
“This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances,” he wrote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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