Families of Air India crash victims facing ‘pain and frustration' over delays

Independent

6 hours ago

British families of Air India crash victims are facing 'pain and frustration' over delays in the identification and repatriation of their relatives, a minister has said.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed.
The aircraft struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, 52 of whom were British.
The sole surviving passenger was Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
Relatives of Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa, who died in the crash, said they felt 'utterly abandoned' by the UK Government and called for more support on the ground in India.
A spokesman for the family, who lived in Gloucester, said they had to make appointments to see consular staff 20 minutes away in a hotel in Ahmedabad while their loved ones 'lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital'.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told the House of Commons that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had set up its reception centre at a hotel close to the airport 'because we thought that would be the best place to receive British nationals rather than the hospital where, tragically, there are no living British nationals'.
He added: 'But we keep these questions under review, as I know from my own experience in tragedies like this, it is difficult to get the assistance that British nationals need right first time, and we will learn lessons as each step goes through.'
Among the Britons believed to have been on the Gatwick-bound flight was Arjun Patoliya, who had flown to Gujarat from London to scatter the ashes of his wife, Bharti.
Others included radiologist Dr Prateek Joshi, from Derby, and sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi, couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, and Raxa Modha, Rudra Modha and K Mistri, from Wellingborough.
UK air accident investigators are in India and are assisting the Indian authorities, the Government said.
Relatives of the Nanabawa family said they had 'key concerns' over the 'lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains'.
They called for a 'full crisis team' at the hospital within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for relatives of the victims.
Mr Falconer said: 'We are, of course, also in regular close contact with Air India about the support package that they are offering, which includes funding flights and full repatriation costs to bring loved ones home.
'I understand how frustrating it is for families who have not yet been able to lay their loved ones to rest, and I recognise the pain and frustration that this has caused. The Indian authorities are working around the clock with UK support to be able to do this.'
He said the process of identifying remains is 'difficult but necessarily time consuming'.
Asked by West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes how her constituents can have confidence when they go and visit family in India in the wake of the tragedy, Mr Falconer said 'we will continue to do all that we can' so that 'constituents across the house can feel confident'.
The minister also told MPs that a British Red Cross psychological support officer is also in India 'helping families cope with the tragic, emotional impact'.
An FCDO spokeswoman said: 'Our staff continue to work around the clock in the UK and India to support the families and loved ones of all those impacted by the crash.
'We have set up a reception centre at the Ummed Hotel, near the Ahmedabad airport, and have a dedicated helpline to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals – friends or family should call 020 7008 5000.
'If you are in India, you should call [phone] for support, including through in-person consular staff who are available to support families of British nationals, including accompanying them to the hospital.
'Furthermore, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has deployed an investigation team to support the Indian-led investigation on the ground, and UK forensic experts are there to support the consular response.'