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Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Telegraph
Families being moved from ‘pillar to post' over Air India crash
Families of the British victims of the Air India crash have complained of 'disgusting' and 'inhumane' treatment as they wait to see the bodies of their loved ones. Bereaved relatives have been forced to wait days sitting in dusty, humid conditions outside the hospital in Ahmedabad and said officials were 'passing the buck' as they were moved from 'pillar to post'. They have also been forced to endure regular 'terrifying' reminders of the crash as planes take off above them on the same route as Air India Flight 171. The families have flown out to Ahmedabad, where authorities are trying to identify the bodies of the dead through DNA. Only 114 of the 270 believed to have died in the crash have been identified so far, and families have faced a painful wait to see the bodies including relatives of the 53 British nationals who died. Some of those families have now described the way they have been treated as 'disgusting' and accused officials of 'passing the buck'. Officials have been seen arguing with families in dilapidated hospital corridors as they wait a fourth day to see the bodies of their loved ones. Many have been left waiting on flimsy plastic chairs outside the DNA testing reception in sweltering conditions and have to listen to the roar of jet engines flying over them after taking off from the runway at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Among those who were still waiting yesterday was Imtiyaz Ali Sayed, 42, the brother of Javed Ali Sayed who died alongside his wife Mariam and two children Zayn, six, and Amani, four, who said his family were brushed aside and shouted at by medical staff for asking for updates. 'They have said they have had results for 100 people. But they don't let me speak with anyone who knows what is happening,' he said. 'I want to know if that is the name or not. 'I am not here for charity, this is not a picnic. Our family has been wiped out. They are making us go from pillar to post. It's disgusting management. People are waiting outside and nobody is listening.' 'They tried to evade our questions and pass the buck. It could be days or weeks we don't know when the call will come.' He said officials were only interested in making life easier for themselves rather than prioritising those who lost loved ones in the crash. 'They are supporting themselves, they are not supporting us. How can we leave if we have not seen the bodies yet?' Gulam Rasool Patel, Javed's uncle, added that they had been left in an inappropriate situation where planes, including Boeing jets, were coming screaming overhead as they waited. 'It's terrifying, it's very scary to hear the sounds,' he said. 'We are not able to sleep, we wait here 12 hours a day. 'My whole family wiped out. This is not a way to treat the families. We are still ready to bear this heat but our priority is we want to get our bodies. 'We've been waiting since Friday and had no response. They should expedite the process of identification. 'We just want bodies so we can have an honourable burial of our relatives, that's the only demand we have. There has been no communication from the government with the families.' Abdullah Nanabawa, the father of Akeel Nanabawa, who died alongside his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara described their treatment as 'inhumane'. 'The Indian government are heartless. Indian people are very human but the government are not,' he said. 'I went in seven times yesterday the officials told us the process was ongoing. 'There is no word about our bodies. They are just ignoring us. I have not changed my clothes for the last four days. 'My neighbours have driven 300km to show solidarity with us. But the government don't bother.' He was later emotional as he received news that the two bodies of his son and daughter-in-law had been identified but not his granddaughter. 'I will not leave this hospital premises until I get the body of my granddaughter,' he said. Investigators are continuing to search the crash site in the Meghaninagar district of Ahmedabad 1.5km metres from the end of the runway at the airport. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner headed for London Gatwick crashed into a hostel where medical students and their families were living just 30 seconds after take off. India has ordered urgent safety tests of Boeing 787s and the flight data recorder, known as the black box, and cockpit voice recorder had been recovered and was being looked into by investigators. Only one of the 241 people on board survived the crash, the sole surviving passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, from Leicester, who was sitting in seat 11A.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Grieving families face long wait for bodies of Air India crash victims
Families are anguished and tensions are rising due to the slow DNA identification process after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where 241 passengers and crew died. More than 72 hours after the crash, only 22 bodies have been identified and returned to their families, with DNA samples matched in 47 cases, though some remains belong to the same victims. The DNA identification process is slow due to the condition of the bodies, with officials stating it routinely takes three to four days. Khushboo Rajpurohit, a newlywed, was among the victims identified; she was on her way to London to join her husband. The Indian government has set up a high-level committee to investigate the causes of the crash and is inspecting Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Families grieve as officials start handing remains of victims killed in Air India crash
Times of Oman
14-06-2025
- Times of Oman
Ahmedabad plane crash: DNA sample collection continues to identify victims
Ahmedabad: The collection of DNA samples from the family members of the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash continued on Saturday, to help identify the bodies. Many came to the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad to provide their samples. Samples from over 250 people have already been collected in the massive identification effort. The victims' identification relies entirely on DNA results, as the bodies were charred beyond recognition. Meanwhile, the government has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, that left 241 people dead. "A High Level Multi-disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future," an order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry read. "The Committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future," the order clarified. "The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies," it stated, adding that the committee will publish its report within three months. It said that the Committee will be headed by the Home Secretary and will include representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Indian Air Force and Aviation experts. The committee will assess the emergency response of the various stakeholders, including rescue operations and coordination among them. It will also suggest policy changes, operational improvements and training enhancements required to prevent such occurrences and handle post-crash incident situations. Stating the objective of constituting the committee, the order said that it was formed to ascertain the root cause of the crash. It also said that the committee will recommend necessary improvements and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future. These SOPs will also include international best practices regarding preventing and handling such incidents.
