Air India flight 171 had been en route to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed in Ahmedabad, killing over 200, including 52 Britons. DW's Birgit Maas spoke with members of the United Kingdom's large ethnic Indian community grappling with the tragedy.
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00:00This area in northwest London is informally called Little Gujarat.
00:05The ties to India are that strong here.
00:09Many worshippers are seeking comfort at the local temple.
00:14The spiritual leader Guruji is himself from Gujarat.
00:19Coming to terms with the tragedy while helping his congregation is not easy.
00:25We can pray to God, God please give the peace for the departed soul.
00:31He says he personally knows 20 people who lost their lives.
00:36Being a community leader, being a spiritual leader, we can only give them support morally.
00:41We can give them support for mentally, but we cannot take the pain from the heart.
00:46We cannot take the pain from the family.
00:49Bhargav Bhadani comes to the temple every day. It gives him strength, he says.
00:54His parents were due to visit this week and almost booked a flight that crashed.
00:59But they cancelled last minute.
01:01People are still on the shock because like this got happened.
01:04240 people got died, approximately whoever there in the flight.
01:08And like all communities are praying for everyone home.
01:12Many here travel back and forth regularly.
01:16Shabna Modi lives half the time in London, half in Gujarat.
01:21She has vowed to assist people impacted in India.
01:25Some of the places, they don't have a facility like here.
01:28So that as well. Some of the facilities in the hospitals and that.
01:32So whatever we can do for the community, we are here to help them.
01:37Guruji, the spiritual leader, is used to helping families through periods of mourning.
01:44This is different for him though.
01:46Many in the congregation are questioning why God did not help, he says.
01:50And they want answers.
01:52From the Indian government and the airline Air India.
01:56This is a big lesson for everyone.
01:59For the government as well, for the community as well.
02:01Where is the safety?
02:03If we trust someone, any airlines.
02:06How is it going to be?
02:08And that is going to affect not only Air India.
02:11It will affect each and every airlines.
02:14This is a big disaster.
02:18In northwest London, the Gujarati community is only thinking of the tragedy back home.
02:25Julia Fromm.