Two young sisters in London are facing an unimaginable tragedy after losing both of their parents just 18 days apart.

Their father, 37-year-old Arjun Patoliya, was one of at least 270 people killed in the deadly Air India Flight AI-171 crash on July 12, just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport. He had been flying home to reunite with his daughters, ages 4 and 8, after fulfilling his late wife Bharti’s final wish—to have her ashes scattered in her hometown in Gujarat, India.

Bharti Patoliya passed away earlier this month after a “courageous battle with cancer,” according to family members. Arjun had traveled to India to honor her memory, but never made it back to the girls he was raising alone.

“In a span of just 18 days, two young sisters — only 4 and 8 years old — have lost both of their beloved parents,” reads the heartbreaking message on a GoFundMe page started in their honor. “Arjun left to bid farewell to his wife, never returned to the children they both raised. Now, these two beautiful young girls have been left without parents — their world turned upside down in just over two weeks.”

The crash is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in India in more than three decades. Witnesses and officials say the plane appeared to experience mechanical issues immediately after takeoff, and the pilot issued a chilling distress call.

“Mayday, mayday,” Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal was heard saying in his final radio transmission just seconds before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed over a mile from the airport, striking a medical college hostel. The crash killed 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground.

Only one man survived the crash—40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh—who is now recovering in the hospital. “He is doing very well and will be ready to be discharged anytime soon,” said Dr. Dhaval Gameti at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.

As recovery teams search for answers and piece together evidence—including the plane’s black box found on a rooftop—grieving families like the Patoliyas are left trying to find a way forward.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Arjun’s mother, Kanchan Patoliya, said the family is still in shock. “Gopal [Arjun’s younger brother] arrived at Ahmedabad on Friday evening. Once we complete all the rituals, we will sit down and decide the future of both girls,” she explained. “If needed, I will fly to London to stay at my younger son’s place and take care of my granddaughters.”

So far, more than £576,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe campaign to support the sisters. Organizers say the money “will go directly to a legal trust or the appointed guardians to ensure every penny is dedicated to the girls’ needs.”