Latest news with #ShobhanaPatel
Sky News
03-08-2025
- General
- Sky News
How Air India crash victim's grieving family discovered remains mix-up
Why you can trust Sky News Almost two months after Air India Flight 171's deadly crash, some of the 53 British nationals on board are only now being laid to rest. Some 300 friends, families, and locals from the Gujarati community in and around London gathered in Wembley for a prayer and memorial service dedicated to remembering some of the victims. Wearing his father's emerald ring that was miraculously recovered from the wreckage, Miten Patel addresses the crowd. His parents, Ashok and Shobhana Patel, were travelling back to their home in Orpington, Kent, after a spiritual trip to India, when they were killed in the crash on 12 June. Their funeral was held only days ago, after being delayed following the discovery that the remains of other individuals were found in Miten's mother's casket. He credits Professor Fiona Wilcox, the senior coroner at Inner West London Coroner's Court, for meeting with him and his family to break the news. "My parents were the first ones repatriated in the UK," Miten explains - he organised the repatriation of his parents before he flew out to Ahmedabad. "When they were back home, the first thing that they did was a CT scan. And that's when it came about, the CT scan showed that with mum's remains, there were further remains there too. "I don't know what they were. I don't know how many." Miten's parents' funeral was attended by hundreds. His father, Ashok, was a financial adviser and his mother, Shobhana, was a retired microbiologist. As the eldest son, organising much of his parents' farewell fell to him. The concern around his mother's remains delayed the family's chance to grieve. "I think there should be a level of responsibility taken. Why did that happen? Where was the flaw in that process? I mean I do understand that whole situation, people were rushing, people were very tired. "You know, to get all the remains, then having to separate them by DNA, it's a long process. But really, for us as loved ones, it is very upsetting." The flight crashed moments after take-off en route to Gatwick, killing 241 people on board. Horrifying images were beamed around the world within minutes. Confusion and fear spread like wildfire among relatives back in the UK, who immediately tried to get hold of their loved ones. It was a family member of Komal Patel's who called her after seeing the images on the news. There was only one flight out of Ahmedabad back to London that day, and she had only just been texting her brother Sunny and his wife Monali, who'd been on holiday. The events of the past few weeks have been unfathomable. In her first interview about her brother and her sister-in-law, Komal explains how she flew out to India with her cousin Jina to go and identify her little brother. "Because we weren't really allowed to see the body, I don't think I've really come to terms with it. I still think I'm dreaming and it's not really real," Komal tells us. Sunny and Monali Patel were in their 30s and about to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. The couple were the "light" and "soul" of their families. They loved having fun, playing with their nieces and nephews and adored travelling. Komal says her brother loved barbecues and her sister-in-law worked with children and adored hers too. "They're just really fun, exciting, really lived life, just made memories, just made everyone really happy," says big sister Komal. "They were like the heart of my kids. Whenever they walked into a room, they just filled up the room with laughter and happiness." The couple had been due to fly back home to London a week beforehand but postponed their flight. "It has just been very traumatic, very, very sad for us, losing Sunny and Monali at 39 years old," says their cousin Jina. "They were full of life and brought so much light into our family. As a family, we're devastated at why two people so young, with so much energy, who brought so much into our families have just sort of gone in one day." A joint funeral for the husband and wife was held a fortnight ago and like hundreds of families impacted by this tragedy, the family are now rebuilding a foundation that has been shattered.
Malay Mail
24-07-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
UK families horrified as Air India crash caskets contain wrong, mixed remains
LONDON, July 24 — Relatives of a British victim killed in last month's Air India crash received a casket that contained mixed remains, a lawyer representing several families and UK media said yesterday. The family of a separate victim received the remains of another person, according to James Healy-Pratt, who is representing 20 British families who lost loved ones in the disaster. A total of 241 people on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner died when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities. Several people on the ground also died while only one passenger, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash. Healy-Pratt told the Press Association news agency that the return of victims' remains had been marred by serious errors, which had been identified following a probe by a British coroner. 'In the first two caskets that were repatriated, in one of the caskets, there was co-mingling of DNA which did not relate to the deceased in that casket or the casket that accompanied it,' he said. The lawyer added the coroner was then 'able to determine that one particular loved one was not at all who the family thought they were'. Miten Patel, whose mother Shobhana Patel died along with her husband in the disaster, told the BBC that 'other remains' were found in her casket after her body was returned to Britain. 'People were tired and there was a lot of pressure. But there has to be a level of responsibility that you're sending the right bodies to the UK,' he told the broadcaster. The Daily Mail newspaper first reported two cases in which the wrong remains were apparently returned to families in Britain. India's foreign ministry said all remains 'were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased'. 'We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue,' the statement added. — AFP
The Irish Sun
23-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Air India crash victim's family furious after someone else's remains were also sent home in casket
THE family of a mum killed in the Air India crash has blasted Indian authorities after someone else's remains were also sent home in her casket. NHS microbiologist Shobhana Patel, 71, died with her husband Ashok, 74, in the crash in June. 2 Shobhana Patel, 71, died with her husband Ashok, 74, in June's Air India crash Credit: Supplied 2 The crash killed 260 people Credit: Alamy The couple, from Orpington, Kent, were repatriated in different coffins but DNA tests in Britain Her son Miten, 40, said: 'I have no idea if the other remains were from more than one person.' One family was sent the wrong body entirely. India's Ministry of External Affairs said: 'All remains were handled with professionalism.' READ MORE ON AIR INDIA CRASH Lawyer James Healy-Pratt, representing around 20 families, said: 'They have been left in limbo. 'They have no-one to bury because the wrong body was in the casket.' It is thought that only Indian authorities carried out DNA tests on victims with no input from any international agency. Mr Healy-Prat added: 'I am hearing that it was Indian authorities alone who identified remains and then placed them in caskets. Most read in The Sun 'The families want assurances that their loved ones have not been left behind somewhere in India because they don't have confidence in the system. 'They have had the terrible shock of losing a loved one and then they go through more trauma when they learn it is not only their loved one in the casket, or it may not be their loved one at all.' How pilots cutting engines sparked TWO plane disasters after South Korea & India crashes as calls for cockpit CCTV grow
Scottish Sun
23-07-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Air India crash victim's family furious after someone else's remains were also sent home in casket
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE family of a mum killed in the Air India crash has blasted Indian authorities after someone else's remains were also sent home in her casket. NHS microbiologist Shobhana Patel, 71, died with her husband Ashok, 74, in the crash in June. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Shobhana Patel, 71, died with her husband Ashok, 74, in June's Air India crash Credit: Supplied 2 The crash killed 260 people Credit: Alamy The couple, from Orpington, Kent, were repatriated in different coffins but DNA tests in Britain found other body parts along with Shobhana's. Her son Miten, 40, said: 'I have no idea if the other remains were from more than one person.' One family was sent the wrong body entirely. India's Ministry of External Affairs said: 'All remains were handled with professionalism.' READ MORE ON AIR INDIA CRASH 'BODY MIX-UP' Brit Air India families 'sent the WRONG bodies' after crash killed 260 Lawyer James Healy-Pratt, representing around 20 families, said: 'They have been left in limbo. 'They have no-one to bury because the wrong body was in the casket.' It is thought that only Indian authorities carried out DNA tests on victims with no input from any international agency. Mr Healy-Prat added: 'I am hearing that it was Indian authorities alone who identified remains and then placed them in caskets. 'The families want assurances that their loved ones have not been left behind somewhere in India because they don't have confidence in the system. 'They have had the terrible shock of losing a loved one and then they go through more trauma when they learn it is not only their loved one in the casket, or it may not be their loved one at all.'
The Sun
23-07-2025
- The Sun
Air India crash victim's family furious after someone else's remains were also sent home in casket
THE family of a mum killed in the Air India crash has blasted Indian authorities after someone else's remains were also sent home in her casket. NHS microbiologist Shobhana Patel, 71, died with her husband Ashok, 74, in the crash in June. 2 The couple, from Orpington, Kent, were repatriated in different coffins but DNA tests in Britain found other body parts along with Shobhana's. Her son Miten, 40, said: 'I have no idea if the other remains were from more than one person.' One family was sent the wrong body entirely. India's Ministry of External Affairs said: 'All remains were handled with professionalism.' Lawyer James Healy-Pratt, representing around 20 families, said: 'They have been left in limbo. 'They have no-one to bury because the wrong body was in the casket.' It is thought that only Indian authorities carried out DNA tests on victims with no input from any international agency. Mr Healy-Prat added: 'I am hearing that it was Indian authorities alone who identified remains and then placed them in caskets. 'The families want assurances that their loved ones have not been left behind somewhere in India because they don't have confidence in the system. 'They have had the terrible shock of losing a loved one and then they go through more trauma when they learn it is not only their loved one in the casket, or it may not be their loved one at all.'
