Air India crash pilot's medical records examined amid 'mental health issues' as probe into tragedy continues
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Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Poor regulation causing hundreds of deaths from contaminated medicines globally, says WHO report
Weak regulation has allowed children's medicines like cough syrup and paracetamol to be laced with toxic industrial chemicals leading to hundreds of deaths, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Since 2022, at least 300 people – mainly children in Africa and Asia – have died from cough and paracetamol syrups containing diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG): industrial chemicals that are used to make products like brake fluid and antifreeze. The chemicals – a cheap replacement for medicinal glycol – are toxic in even small amounts and cause acute kidney damage that often proves fatal. The WHO report, released jointly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said 'criminal networks' were exploiting 'market volatility and regulatory gaps' to introduce these and other toxins into the supply chain in order to make quick profits. 'Most of the recent cases involve inexpensive oral liquid medicines that can be bought without a prescription,' said the report. 'In most cases these medicines were marketed specifically for children and are … available in pharmacies, medicine stores or informal street markets.' In 2022, more than 150 children died in Indonesia from consuming locally produced cough syrups that had been laced with EG. The manufacturer had marked 60,000 bottles of the lethal medication with fake labels showing only safe ingredients, the report said. In the same year, at least 66 children, mostly under the age of two, died in the Gambia from acute kidney failure after consuming cough syrup containing DEG and EG, imported from India. The medicines were produced by the Indian manufacturer, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which was later discovered to have breached numerous regulations. Two of the owners of the company received prison sentences, the report said. Over the last three years, at least five batches of lethal cough syrups have been traced back to Indian manufacturers from countries including Uzbekistan, Cameroon, and Iraq. Some were found to contain over 20 times the safe level of EG . Each contaminated medicine was produced by a different manufacturer, raising questions about the regulation of India's pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the World Health Organization said at least 1,300 people have died as a direct cause of ingesting contaminated medicines over the last 90 years, and thousands more have suffered 'life changing injuries' – mostly in the developing world. 'In many cases, contaminated medicines are the result of intentional criminal conduct. Addressing this threat requires coordinated efforts by ... law enforcement agencies, customs officials, prosecutors and anti-corruption bodies,' the report said.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
UK supermarket issues 'do not eat' warning as it recalls curry ready meal
The supermarket has pulled some batches of its Indian takeaway for two because some packs have been mispacked Waitrose has recalled one of its own-brand curry ready meals as it could cause allergic reactions. The supermarket has pulled some batches of its Waitrose Indian Takeaway for two because some packs have been mispacked with spring rolls, which contain sesame and soya, and these allergens are not mentioned on the label. This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to sesame or soya. Allergy symptoms can range from skin reactions to the swelling of the lips or face, or vomiting and diarrhea. The pack size that has been recalled is 1412g and the use by date is July 25, 2025. If you have purchased this product, you can return it to your nearest Waitrose for a refund. You can also contact Waitrose customer support on 0800 188 884. In a recall notice published online, Waitrose said: "We are recalling Waitrose Indian Takeaway for two due to undeclared soya and sesame. We apologise that it has been necessary to recall this product and for the inconvenience caused." For all product recalls, you can check the Food Standards Agency and Chartered Trading Standards Institute websites. You should also notice recall notices in stores if they've pulled a product from shelves. It comes after Wall's recalled two products over fears they are contaminated by salmonella. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. The affected products are 113g packs of Wall's The Classic Scotch Egg with a use by date of July 2, and 226g packs of Wall's Two Classic Scotch Eggs, also with the same use by date. Meanwhile, Aldi recalled packs of its own-brand baby potatoes as they could pose a health risk to anyone with an allergy to dairy products. The supermarket revealed that certain batches of its Inspired Cuisine Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Butter contains milk which is not listed on its packaging. The potatoes that have been recalled by Aldi have a use by date up to and including July 1, 2025. The barcode is 4061463488152. Lidl also recently recalled batches of its fruit and nut bars over fears they could contain pieces of plastic. The supermarket has recalled Alesto Raw Fruit and Nut Bars in various flavours. The recall applies to all stock with a best before date of December 2025 with the batch code L24337, and best before date of November 2025 with the batch code L24316. Meanwhile, health foods brand Grape Tree has recalled its Raw Unsalted Macadamia Nuts because Shiga toxin-producing was found in one of its batches. The product that has been recalled has the batch code G41 5 101 250610 and a best before date of July 11, 2026. The pack size is 250g.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- The Sun
‘Just one or two more flights': Haunting words of Air India pilot at centre of ‘mental health' probe after mum's death
THE doomed Air India flight's captain was considering quitting his job early to look after his elderly father, his neighbours have revealed. The London Gatwick-bound AI 171 flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was reportedly just months away from retirement. 6 6 6 He wanted to retire early and take care of his 92-year-old father Pushkaraj Sabharwal, who was a former official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) - India's aviation regulatory body. Savitri Budhania, an elderly neighbour of Captain Sabharwal, revealed she once told him that "your father is too old to be living alone". To which the pilot replied: "Just one or two more flights… then I'm going to just be with Papa." Ms Budhania told the Times of India that Captain Sabharwal was a gentleman who would often take his father out for evening walks. She added: "Whenever he wasn't flying, you'd find him walking hand in hand with his father in the evening. "They would smile at everyone, just wonderful people. "Who knew this would be it." But a leading aviation expert in India told The Telegraph that Captain Sabharwal suffered from mental health issues and depression - and had taken time off in the last few years following his mum's death. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a former instructor pilot of Boeing 737, said: "I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues. "He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years." Although Mr Ranganathan added that Captain Sabharwal "must have been medically cleared by the company [Air India] doctors" before flying. The Air India pilot, 56, is understood to have taken a Class I medical exam on September 5 last year. Investigators are now said to be probing his medical records after the preliminary crash report indicated there may have been human error, although some aviation experts claim it is a case of deliberate action. Sources said the black box analysis has so far been unable to rule out 'improper, inadvertent or intentional' action that caused them to be flipped. Families of the victims who tragically died in the crash have slammed the preliminary report as a cover-up. They have dubbed the investigation"biased" and said it only appears to "blame the dead pilots". Key findings of the report: Dual engine shutdown - fuel cutoff switches moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' Confusion between pilots - cockpit audio confirms one pilot asked 'why did you cutoff', the other replied 'I didn't' RAT deployed - as seen in CCTV footage before the crash Engine relight attempted - fuel switches were found returned to the "RUN" at crash site 32 seconds - the time the aircraft was airborne before it crashed Thrust levers mismatch - Thrust levers found at idle but black box data shows takeoff thrust was still engaged Fuel test pass - fuel was clean without any contamination Normal take-off set-up - Flaps and landing gear correctly configured No bird activity - clear skies, good visibility, light winds Pilot credentials clear - both medically fit and rested No sabotage detected - although FAA alerted over a known fuel switch vulnerability not checked by Air India Aircraft loading - the flight was within weight and balance limits The Airline Pilots' Association of India (APAI) rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry and said it came without sufficient evidence. However, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that investigators probed in a "mature, transparent" way. "This is a preliminary report. We want the final report to come in, so let us wait for it," he added. Early findings in the 15-page report released by the Indian authorities indicate switches to the engines' fuel supplies were moved from the "RUN" position to "CUTOFF". The fuel switches were then toggled to the "RUN" position, and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but failed to stop the plane from decelerating. Analysis of the cockpit voice recording revealed that one of the pilots asked: 'Why did you cut off?" To which the other pilot replied: 'I didn't." 6 6 Though the report does not identify which comments were made by the flight's captain and which were made by the first officer. Nor does it "identify the cause - whether it was crew error, mechanical malfunction, or electronic failure." It is almost impossible to turn the switches off accidentally - they must be pulled up and locked before flipping - a safety design feature that was introduced decades ago. Protective guards are further installed to minimise the risks - raising further questions as to why the fuel switches in the Air India flight were turned off. The report points out that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018 issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) - highlighting that a few Boeing 737 fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. But it was not deemed unsafe, and no Airworthiness Directive (AD) - a legally enforceable regulation to correct unsafe conditions in a product - was issued. A similar switch design is used in Boeing 787-8 aircraft, including Air India's VT-ANB Dreamliner in question. The FAA and Boeing have now privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, according to four sources and a document seen by Reuters. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections, as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a legal mandate. But it also said maintenance records showed that the throttle control module, which includes the fuel switches, was replaced in 2019 and 2023 on the plane involved in the crash. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India. The plane was headed to London Gatwick when it crashed just seconds after take-off, killing all but one passenger. 6
