Relatives lament slow support, wait for remains after India crash

New Straits Times

13 hours ago

MORE than three days after giving a DNA sample, Imtiyaz Ali is enduring an anguished wait to receive the remains of his brother who died in the Air India crash.
"My 72 hours are over, but I've not heard from them so far," Ali said in Ahmedabad, where relatives of victims have gathered since the air disaster.
All but one of the 242 people on board the plane died on Thursday when it slammed into a residential area, where at least 38 others were killed.
Health officials have said the process of matching blood samples with the DNA of victims will be slow, with just 47 identified by Sunday evening.
Ali, whose brother Javed was killed alongside his wife and two children, said he understood the delay and was more frustrated with the airline's response.
"With Air India, the next day after this accident they should have appointed whoever they needed to ensure everything is available to us," such as help with paperwork, he told AFP on Sunday.
"Whatever it took, they should have done it within hours of the accident," he said, a day after being appointed a support person by the airline.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said "over 200 trained caregivers are now in place, with each family assigned dedicated assistance", in a video message on Saturday.
The airline directed AFP to earlier statements about its response to the crash when asked to comment on the criticism from families.
While some funerals have already been held, the majority of grieving relatives are still waiting for a DNA match before remains are handed over from the mortuary.
Rinal Christian, whose elder brother was on the flight, said her family keeps returning to the hospital but they have been told to wait.
"They said it would take 48 hours. But it's been four days and we haven't received any response," the 23-year-old told AFP.
Her brother Lawrence Christian had travelled to Ahmedabad from his home in London after his father died.
"After my father, my brother was the sole breadwinner of the family. I'm still studying, my mother doesn't work, and we have our grandmother too. So what happens next?" asked his sister.
Air India and its parent company Tata Group have announced financial aid, amounting to US$146,000 for each family, but Christian said she has not heard from the airline.
With some in Ahmedabad mourning those who supported their families, parents are also confronting the loss of children.
Suresh Patni, a driver, had just dropped his teenage son off at his wife's tea stall when the plane hit.
She was severely injured, with burns and nerve damage, and Patni has been unable to tell her their son was killed.
"She won't be able to handle it... I've already lost one, I can't risk losing her too," he said.
While watching over his wife, Patni is among those still waiting for his son's remains to be found.
"As soon as our number comes, they'll call us, ask us to come, and then hand over the body."