Latest news with #JamieGreenlawMeek
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ramsgate Pride to pay tribute to couple killed in plane crash
A minute's silence is being held at Ramsgate Pride to pay tribute to a couple who were among the 53 Britons killed when an Air India flight bound for Gatwick crashed on and Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, aged 45 and 39 respectively, were on the AI171 flight which crashed shortly after take off from Ahmedabad couple were founders of the Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate, Kent and London, and were due to host a wellbeing workshop at Ramsgate Pride on Taylor, assistant manager for Ramsgate Pride, described the couple as "brilliant" as they "brought a lot of peace and healing in their spiritual practice to Ramsgate". "They were really vibrant people and I will be performing a song dedicated to them."Ms Taylor added the event organisers aim to make it a "beautiful event dedicated" to the Moran, from Ramsgate Pride, told BBC she had not "processed" what had happened as she had spoken to Jamie and Fiongal's plans for Saturday's event before their death."They were passionate about promoting spirituality and they were keen to make a bigger wellbeing zone. They were really excited about Pride." A representative for Ramsgate Pride paid tribute to the couple on social media, posting they were "absolutely heartbroken" over the "devastating loss" of Jamie and Fiongal."Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this tragic time."Moments before the couple boarded the flight, they had posted a video of their stay in India. Jamie grew up in Birmingham before moving to Liverpool when he was 12 and relocated to Coventry four years where Jamie attended school from the age of 16, said they were "saddened" by his "tragic loss". Air India confirmed there was only one survivor from the crash, which is one of the deadliest on record in terms of the number of British nationals civil aviation minister says a black box has been found at the Air India plane crash site in Pride will hold the minute's silence for the couple at about 11:30 BST on Saturday.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Ramsgate wellness couple among those killed on Air India flight
Tributes have been paid to a couple who were among the 53 Britons killed after an Air India flight bound for London crashed on and Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, aged 45 and 39 respectively, were among the 242 on board the flight which crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad India has confirmed there was only one survivor from the crash, which is one of the deadliest on record in terms of the number of British nationals cause remains unknown and investigators are still searching for the two black boxes that will provide more details. Follow live coverageWhat we know so far about Air India flight AI171?Who were the victims?What could have caused Air India plane to crash in 30 seconds?Jamie and Fiongal ran The Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate, in Kent, and were due to be hosting workshops at Ramsgate Pride on Saturday. Event organisers said on Instagram that they were "absolutely heartbroken" by the Moran, from Ramsgate Pride, shared plans for a tribute to the couple."After the march, we're going to do a minute's silence because our community stage is down by the beach, which is where they loved," she told BBC South grew up in Birmingham before moving to Liverpool at the age of 12 and then to Coventry four years where Jamie attended school from the age of 16, said they were "saddened" by his "tragic loss".Former principal, Elizabeth McConnell, said Jamie "lit up the room with his smile and I'm sure will be remembered and missed by so many".Fiongal, from London, founded The Wellness Foundry in 2018 with Jamie joining as a managing director five years pair posted a video to social media on their last night in India, where Fiongal reflected on a "magical experience".A family who lived in Gloucester were among the other British nationals thought to have Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were all on board the Taju, his wife Hasina, and their son-in-law, Altafhusen Patel - who all lived in London - were also passengersOf the 242 passengers and crew on board the plane, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one sole survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh who sat in seat 11A, is recovering in hospital. His brother has said that he "has no idea how he survived".Families are currently giving DNA samples to help identify the remainder of the least eight people who were not on the Air India plane have also died in the crash, a senior health official in Ahmedabad has told the BBC.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Hundreds killed in Air India disaster as Gatwick flight crashes after take-off – but one Briton is ‘sole survivor'
Hundreds of people are dead after an Air India flight destined for London crashed moments after it took off and crashed into a building on Thursday, in the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade. However, one passenger, a British man visiting family, appears to have miraculously survived. The airline said 241 people were killed when the Boeing Dreamliner bound for Gatwick came down in a residential area in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. There had been 242 people on board, including 11 children and 12 crew members. Among the passengers were 169 Indians, 53 British people, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian. Downing Street warned that the British public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives, and MP Bob Blackman said some of his constituents in London had been notified of the deaths of their relatives. A British family of three who were killed were Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, from Gloucester, and their four-year-old daughter, Sara. Abdullah Samad, headteacher of Sara's primary school, said she was a 'ray of sunshine' and that her parents were known for their charity work. A British couple who ran a spiritual wellness company were also among the victims. Jamie Ray Greenlaw-Meek and his husband Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, from London, were returning home after a 10-day retreat, their family said. Plumes of smoke billowed from the crash site after the plane erupted into a huge fireball when it struck a medical college not far from the airport. Some medical students in the building jumped to escape just before the plane hit. Emergency services rushed to douse the charred wreckage, as well as several surrounding multi-storey buildings. As the emergency effort continued into Thursday evening more than 200 bodies had been removed from the crash site. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1.38pm local time (9.08am BST), but crashed just moments later. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the flight made a mayday call to air-traffic control, but there was no response to subsequent calls made by controllers to the aircraft. Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, initially said 294 people were dead, including students in the building that was hit, but later revised the death toll down to more than 240, after it was realised that body parts had led to some double-counting. 'We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,' she said. Ramila, the mother of one, said her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. 'My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,' she said. The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the main city. Relatives have been asked to give DNA samples to identify the dead, state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi said. The cause of the tragedy has yet to be established but investigations are under way. US aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said videos showed that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up. A formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, Indian civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said. 'The government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail,' he said. The sole survivor was 40-year-old Briton Viswashkumar Ramesh, who told local media how the disaster unfolded. 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,' Mr Ramesh told the Hindustan Times, which showed a boarding pass for seat 11A in his name. 'It all happened so quickly,' he told the paper from his hospital bed. 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' Three of the Britons who died in the crash were identified by the Gloucester Muslim Community as Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara. The flight was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 hours. There were 10 other crew members on board the flight. A team of US experts will travel to India to help with the investigation, America's National Transportation Safety Board said. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said the crash had 'stunned and saddened' the country. 'It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it,' he wrote. UK political leaders have also expressed their heartbreak after the Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after takeoff. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said 'the scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating', adding he was being kept updated as the situation develops. Foreign secretary David Lammy said he was deeply saddened by the news, and the UK was working with authorities in India 'to urgently establish the facts and provide support'. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said it was 'heartbreaking' news. The King said he and Queen Camilla had been 'desparately shocked'. 'Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones,' King Charles wrote. Condolences poured in from other leaders around the world. 'We share your shock and grief on this tragic day. We all pray for as many lives to be saved as possible and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,' Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. US president Donald Trump called the crash 'terrible' and the US government said the Federal Aviation Administration was working with Boeing and aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace in the investigation. India's civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu inspected the crash site on Thursday evening, and said it was a 'deeply distressing' scene. 'We're doing everything we can to support the victims and their families in this tragic hour,' he wrote. Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The last fatal plane crash in India, the world's third-largest aviation market, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and working to gather more information about what had happened. Boeing shares fell 5% as the crash posed a major setback for the planemaker as its new CEO looks to rebuild trust following a series of safety and production challenges. Families in India with concerns should call Air India on 1800 5691 444. For those outside India, call the British Foreign Office on 020 7008 5000
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Air India crash LIVE: Brit couple including celeb wellness guru feared to be on doomed jet as 290 killed in disaster
TWO Brit passengers feared to have been on board the doomed Air India flight have been named. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India. 5 5 5 5 The plane was headed to London Gatwick with 232 passengers and 10 crew on board when it crashed just seconds after take-off. Brit couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek are believed to have been the plane and had posted about their "magical experience" in India. Hours before the crash, the pair - who run the Wellness Foundry, a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio - posted on Instagram about their "mind-blowing" trip. Fiongal said: "So it's our last night in India and we have had a magical experience really, there have been some quite mind-blowing things that have happened." Jamie added: "We really have been on quite a journey, and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel, and we have just had the most delicious Tali food. "It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you." A final video showed the pair - who have been together since 2019 - sitting in the airport ahead of their 10-hour flight back to the UK. Fiongal appeared on ITV 's This Morning in January to talk about people's auras - with the Wellness Foundry describing it as their "biggest gig so far". Cops said at least 204 bodies have been recovered so far from the crash site. Along with dozens of Brits, 169 Indian nationals, a Canadian and seven Portuguese travellers were also on board. A city police commissioner said there are unlikely to be any survivors - with many passengers still trapped under the rubble. The Dreamliner lost contact just seconds after take-off, according to flight tracking website Flightradar. A final alert was last logged less than a minute after it started the journey from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It had only reached 625ft at the time, officials believe. Seconds before the crash, the Boeing was filmed flying low over the Meghani Nagar residential area. Moments later, it disappeared behind buildings before a huge blast erupted in the distance. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating." King Charles also said both he and Queen Camilla are 'desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning'. The US-built Boeing 787 is one of the world's most advanced airliners and the accident is the first fatal crash involving the plane.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
British couple on Air India flight named
A British couple believed to be aboard the crashed Air India flight posted about their 'magical experience' in the country. Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre and yoga studio, spoke of their love of India and the 'mind-blowing' experiences they had had just hours before the flight took off. Just after leaving the airport, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was engulfed in a huge fireball after plummeting into a building in the suburb of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat state. The flight, with 242 people onboard including 53 British nationals, was en route to Gatwick airport. Among the passengers were 11 children. On Tuesday, the Greenlaw-Meeks had posted on their social media accounts from their boutique hotel in the city, The House of MG, talking about how they planned to create a 'vlog' documenting their time in the city and were excited to tell everyone about the details. Sitting beside his husband, Fiongal said: 'So it's our last night in India and we have had a magical experience really, there have been some quite mind-blowing things that have happened.' Jamie added: 'We really have been on quite a journey, and then just spending the last night here in this amazing hotel, and we have just had the most delicious Tali food. It was a perfect way to round up the trip. Excited to share it all with you'. Other videos show Fiongal discussing how they are 'feeling very, very, very happy' and showing off the 'treasures' that they had bought before a final video showed them in the airport as the plane was boarding. The couple run The Wellness Foundry in south London and Ramsgate, which offers psychic readings, tarot, Reiki and yoga. It has collaborated with brands including Dior, Google, and Netflix, according to the website, and they were due to offer readings at Ramsgate's Pride march on Saturday. In January, Fiongal appeared on ITV's This Morning to chat about people's auras and what they mean. The couple's Wellness Foundry described it on Instagram as their 'biggest gig so far', adding that it was 'very nerve-wracking' but that he was 'honoured to chat about one of his favourite topics to such a big audience'. The couple documented their professional and personal lives on social media, advertising 'psychic development' and spiritual retreats in the UK and Spain. They have been together since 2019, getting married in various ceremonies, including one in Las Vegas, in 2022. Jamie posted a series of pictures of their wedding day at Mill Farm in Gamlingay, Cambs, on Facebook, adding that they had made 'so many wonderful memories and fun to last a lifetime'. He added: 'Thank you to my wonderful husband for keeping me calm in times of stress (sunshine after the rain)... My heart is so full of love and gratitude…' Jamie has previously spoken about how he developed a passion for wellness and health when his late father was diagnosed with cancer.
