Latest news with #Gatwick
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Grieving British mother of Air India crash victim tells of her agony after being sent the WRONG body
A grieving mother whose son died in the Air India plane disaster travelled thousands of miles to collect his remains - only to be sent home with the wrong body. Amanda Donaghey lost her son Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband, Jamie, 45, when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick crashed just seconds after takeoff on June 12 - claiming the lives of 260 people. The couple had been returning to Britain after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India when the plane unexpectedly crashed, killing all but one passenger onboard. The aircraft had turned into a huge fireball on impact but Ms Donaghey, 66, was determined to bring back her son's remains, handing over a sample of her blood in a bid to find matching DNA, The Sunday Times reports. Things did not look promising, however, and three days came and went without a word from officials handling the bodies. In the meantime, Jamie's remains were identified and sent home to the UK. But just as the mother was losing hope, they got back to her with news that there had been a 'match' for Fiongal. Ms Donaghey was relieved - the discovery meant she could bring her son's remains back and lay them next to his husband's. The family set about organising funerals for the two men with the mother assured on her return to the UK that Fiongal's remains were in the casket. Then, a heartbreaking development. The British coroner had conducted another DNA test which found that the remains in her son's coffin were not his after all. Ms Donaghey said that the identity of the remains is still unknown, describing the confusion as 'appalling'. Fiongal studied at the Royal College of Art and went on to work as a fashion designer, fronting design houses in London and Asia. He then got into sprituality, yoga and reiki and established the Wellness Foundry, dedicated to such topics, in 2018. The business founder married Jamie in 2022 and had taken to social media to describe their 'magical experience' in India the night before they caught the fateful flight. They even posted a short clip from the airport departure lounge just hours ahead of the journey back, which would see them sit in seats 22A and 22B, bidding farewell to the country. His mother was not aware he was on the plane, believing Fiongal to have flown back to the UK two days prior. After taking a ride on her horse, she got a phone call from Fiongal's father who told her the pair had been travelling back on the aircraft. Two days later, Ms Donaghey took a tricky trip to India from her home in the south of France, where she had moved 22 years ago. She was greeted by a British High Commission crisis management team on her arrival in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Despite being exhausted, the mother headed straight to the nearby Civil Hospital to take a DNA test in a converted classroom. Ms Donaghey then paid a visit BJ Medical College hostel, which had been hit by the Air India plane, but was not allowed to go through the final cordon as the aircraft's tail was still lodged in a building there. 'It was like a bomb site,' she said. 'You would think it was from a war scene, but there were still these small birds twittering.' Also out there was Miten Patel who was determined to bring home his parents Ashok and Shobhana, who had been married since the 70s. The financial advisor and retired microbiologist had been in the country for a yatra, a religious visit geared towards helping people to find peace when they die. Ashok and Shobhana, pictured, had been married since the 70s and were in the country for a yatra, a religious visit geared towards helping people to find peace when they die Mr Patel was handed several of his parents' items including Ashok's shirt and Shobhana's swan necklace. After successfully retrieving the couple's remains, he later discovered 'other remains' in the casket said to contain his mother's body. He was finally able to bury her last week, describing the successful end to the process as a 'miracle'. Ms Donaghey has been going through a similar ordeal, but one that remains unresolved. After initially being informed of the 'match' on June 20, she spoke with the British High Commission and hospital representatives, as well as an Avon and Somerset Police officer, acting as a disaster victim investigator. She said: 'I was told they had found part of Fiongal but not all of him. I said I wanted to stay until they had finished looking.' But on her return to the crash site, Ms Donaghey was handed the devastating news that there was nothing left to be found in the wreckage. Things took an even more concerning turn when she was told about Shobhana's case, which had seen various remains get mixed up. On June 28, she headed back to Gatwick on an Air India flight in a bid to get Fiongal's remains to a British hospital with better preserving standards than those in India. They were handed over to Dr Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner for Inner West London, and in the meantime Ms Donaghey was given support by her sister in Cambridgeshire, as well as police family liaison officers. Six days after her return, the mother was handed the heart-wrenching news that the remains in her son's coffin were not his at all. At a meeting attended by Fiongal's father, sister and brother, family liaison officers said: 'We don't have Fiongal. We have carried out the DNA tests and we do not have Fiongal.' Amanda said: 'I had my doubts but to be told that was heartbreaking.' Despite realising that their ambition to bury Fiongal and Jamie alongside one another was now impossible, Ms Donaghey and her family have not given up on trying to locate his remains, ringing the Foreign Office each day looking for answers. Some 53 of the 242 people on the ill-fated flight were British but, as many were of Indian heritage and thus buried in the country of the crash, just 12 sets of remains were delivered back to the UK. The remaining 10 were all matches, but it is still not known for sure whether the identities of the bodies that stayed in India are correct. James Healy-Pratt, an international aviation lawyer and partner with Keystone Law, is representing 20 bereaved families and confirmed they were in contact with Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister's office and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. A government spokesperson said: 'We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them. Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities. 'We continue to liaise with the government of Gujarat and the government of India on behalf of the Inner West London senior coroner to support the coronial process.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Grieving mother of Air India crash victim is dealt agonising blow after being sent the WRONG body
A grieving mother whose son died in the Air India plane disaster travelled thousands of miles to collect his remains - only to be sent home with the wrong body. Amanda Donaghey lost her son Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband, Jamie, 45, when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick crashed just seconds after takeoff on June 12 - claiming the lives of 260 people. The couple had been returning to Britain after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India when the plane unexpectedly crashed, killing all but one passenger onboard. The aircraft had turned into a huge fireball on impact but Ms Donaghey, 66, was determined to bring back her son's remains, handing over a sample of her blood in a bid to find matching DNA, The Sunday Times reports. Things did not look promising, however, and three days came and went without a word from officials handling the bodies. In the meantime, Jamie's remains were identified and sent home to the UK. But just as the mother was losing hope, they got back to her with news that there had been a 'match' for Fiongal. Ms Donaghey was relieved - the discovery meant she could bring her son's remains back and lay them next to his husband's. The family set about organising funerals for the two men with the mother assured on her return to the UK that Fiongal's remains were in the casket. Then, a heartbreaking development. The British coroner had conducted another DNA test which found that the remains in her son's coffin were not his after all. Ms Donaghey said that the identity of the remains is still unknown, describing the confusion as 'appalling'. Fiongal studied at the Royal College of Art and went on to work as a fashion designer, fronting design houses in London and Asia. He then got into sprituality, yoga and reiki and established the Wellness Foundry, dedicated to such topics, in 2018. The business founder married Jamie in 2022 and had taken to social media to describe their 'magical experience' in India the night before they caught the fateful flight. They even posted a short clip from the airport departure lounge just hours ahead of the journey back, which would see them sit in seats 22A and 22B, bidding farewell to the country. His mother was not aware he was on the plane, believing Fiongal to have flown back to the UK two days prior. After taking a ride on her horse, she got a phone call from Fiongal's father who told her the pair had been travelling back on the aircraft. Two days later, Ms Donaghey took a tricky trip to India from her home in the south of France, where she had moved 22 years ago. She was greeted by a British High Commission crisis management team on her arrival in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Despite being exhausted, the mother headed straight to the nearby Civil Hospital to take a DNA test in a converted classroom. Ms Donaghey then paid a visit BJ Medical College hostel, which had been hit by the Air India plane, but was not allowed to go through the final cordon as the aircraft's tail was still lodged in a building there. 'It was like a bomb site,' she said. 'You would think it was from a war scene, but there were still these small birds twittering.' Also out there was Miten Patel who was determined to bring home his parents Ashok and Shobhana, who had been married since the 70s. The financial advisor and retired microbiologist had been in the country for a yatra, a religious visit geared towards helping people to find peace when they die. Ashok and Shobhana, pictured, had been married since the 70s and were in the country for a yatra, a religious visit geared towards helping people to find peace when they die Mr Patel was handed several of his parents' items including Ashok's shirt and Shobhana's swan necklace. After successfully retrieving the couple's remains, he later discovered 'other remains' in the casket said to contain his mother's body. He was finally able to bury her last week, describing the successful end to the process as a 'miracle'. Ms Donaghey has been going through a similar ordeal, but one that remains unresolved. After initially being informed of the 'match' on June 20, she spoke with the British High Commission and hospital representatives, as well as an Avon and Somerset Police officer, acting as a disaster victim investigator. She said: 'I was told they had found part of Fiongal but not all of him. I said I wanted to stay until they had finished looking.' But on her return to the crash site, Ms Donaghey was handed the devastating news that there was nothing left to be found in the wreckage. Things took an even more concerning turn when she was told about Shobhana's case, which had seen various remains get mixed up. On June 28, she headed back to Gatwick on an Air India flight in a bid to get Fiongal's remains to a British hospital with better preserving standards than those in India. They were handed over to Dr Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner for Inner West London, and in the meantime Ms Donaghey was given support by her sister in Cambridgeshire, as well as police family liaison officers. Six days after her return, the mother was handed the heart-wrenching news that the remains in her son's coffin were not his at all. At a meeting attended by Fiongal's father, sister and brother, family liaison officers said: 'We don't have Fiongal. We have carried out the DNA tests and we do not have Fiongal.' Amanda said: 'I had my doubts but to be told that was heartbreaking.' Despite realising that their ambition to bury Fiongal and Jamie alongside one another was now impossible, Ms Donaghey and her family have not given up on trying to locate his remains, ringing the Foreign Office each day looking for answers. Some 53 of the 242 people on the ill-fated flight were British but, as many were of Indian heritage and thus buried in the country of the crash, just 12 sets of remains were delivered back to the UK. The remaining 10 were all matches, but it is still not known for sure whether the identities of the bodies that stayed in India are correct. James Healy-Pratt, an international aviation lawyer and partner with Keystone Law, is representing 20 bereaved families and confirmed they were in contact with Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister's office and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. A government spokesperson said: 'We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them. Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities. 'We continue to liaise with the government of Gujarat and the government of India on behalf of the Inner West London senior coroner to support the coronial process.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on busy rail routes
The biggest railway workers union is calling for action to tackle claims of escalating violence on busy train routes. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed. The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour. GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. 'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it. 'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action. 'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.' The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network. Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable. 'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives. 'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute. 'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges. 'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on busy rail routes
The biggest railway workers union is calling for action to tackle claims of escalating violence on busy train routes. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed. The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour. GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. 'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it. 'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action. 'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.' The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network. Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable. 'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives. 'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute. 'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges. 'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Scary moment plane passenger tries to open cabin doors at 30,000 feet - as screaming passengers feared they were about to die
This is the terrifying moment passengers onboard a flight were left fearing for their lives after a fellow traveller attempted to open the cabin doors while at 30,000 feet. Oore Fabunmi, 25, was flying from the Dominican Republic to London Gatwick on a TUI flight on Sunday, June 29 when she said that the man seated in front of her suddenly stood up and ran towards the front of the aircraft. Ms Oore then said she heard screams begin to erupt from terrified passengers at the front of the plane as the man made a frantic attempt at opening the cabin doors. The confused passenger watched on as fellow travellers onboard tried to halt the man from opening the doors, immediately alerting staff to the incident. Thankfully, quick-thinking TUI passengers are then said to have intervened - stopping the disruptive passenger in his tracks. Video footage has shown the scene of chaos onboard the flight, as disorientated passengers anxiously stood in the aisles. One member of cabin crew onboard the flight is heard attempting to reassure passengers, stating: 'There is nothing to concern your health about, please return to your seats'. They added: 'We do hope you had a fantastic holiday.' The man remained sat with staff for the rest of the eight-hour flight before being escorted off the plane by police officers upon his arrival into London. A later announcement onboard the flight insisted that 'there was nothing to worry about' and everything was under control' and apologised for the 'disturbance'. It continued: 'We do ask those who are not involved to please return to your seats and let the cabin crew do their job and deal with the situation.' Recalling the shocking ordeal, Ms Oore, a hearings officer from south London, described the moment the man frantically attempted to open the cabin doors as 'pretty scary'. She said: 'I remember just seeing him leave the row in front of me and run forward. 'Next thing I heard was just screams coming from the front. 'My first thought was that we were being hijacked and we might die - like in the movies.' Ms Oorre, who been returning from a holiday in the Dominican Republic, recalled interacting with the man at the beginning of the flight as she had helped him find the correct seat. She said: 'I had chatted to him earlier in the journey. 'I got onto the plane with some friends I'd made on the holiday and he was actually sitting in one of their seats. 'They asked him to move and he seemed confused about his ticket so I helped him find his seat. 'He seemed all right after that until he started getting agitated halfway through the flight.' But four hours into the flight, Ms Oore began to notice that the passenger had become restless and was acting in a 'strange' manner. She added that at one point he 'stood up on his seat' before then making a quick dash for the plane doors. Remarking that she believed the man was clearly in need of assistance, Ms Oore said that she had 'no idea' what prompted his erratic and bizarre behaviour onboard the flight. The man remained sat for the rest of the journey, accompanied by staff, while passengers were asked to remain seated after landing as police escorted him off the flight. Ms Oore, who described the remainder of the lengthy journey as 'tense', added: 'The rest of the flight was definitely calmer after that but still tense. 'The flight attendants were really good at keeping us informed and announcements were made explaining what had happened. 'It was such a nerve-wracking experience - it definitely made me think twice before flying again.'
