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Time of India
18-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
British couple and children who lost their lives in air crash laid to rest in Malad
1 2 3 Mumbai: Four British nationals who lost their lives in the Ahmedabad air crash were laid to rest in Malad on Wednesday. The fledgling family of Javed Ali Syed, 38, his wife Mariam, 35, and their little children Zayn, 6, and Amani, 4, had embodied the Indian middle class dream of making a better life abroad. The two children were among the youngest victims of the tragedy. Raised in Iraniwadi, Goregaon, Javed studied hotel management in London and acquired British citizenship. He was manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel while Mariam, 35, worked at Harrods. The couple lived in Kensington, London. "They travelled to India to celebrate Eid ul' Azha on June 7 with the family as well as to treat Javed's ailing mother who had recently suffered a heart attack," said cousin Saood Memon. At 5pm Wednesday, they were buried at the Jamaat-Ul-Muslimeen Kabrastan in Malad West. Hundreds of mourners crowded the courtyard. Four caskets covered in crimson cloth were borne upon the shoulders of mourners. As the imam intoned prayers, everyone recited along. Among them stood Javed's elder brother Imtiaz Ali Syed, exhaustion evident in his eyes. "Right now, given this situation I can't even talk to you properly," he said to TOI. "My mind is completely preoccupied in making sure we send them off well." Javed's mother Farida was not informed of the calamity that had befallen them until Monday. Imtiaz arranged for a cardiologist and psychologist to be present while breaking the news to her. Imtiaz had jetted to Ahmedabad on the night of June 12 and was there for five days with his uncles. Once the DNA tests were matched, the bodies were flown to Mumbai and kept in a Byculla morgue, then brought home for the last rites. He had put away his mother's phone and shielded her from all social contact lest she collapse of shock. On Wednesday, though, the distraught lady was unable to let go of her son's coffin. Javed's grandmother too wept bitterly. In Iraniwadi, hundreds of people arrived to convey their condolences. Several others gathered in their balconies and windows. Yasmine Hassan, the sister of Mariam, arrived from London to bid farewell. She nearly fainted, then mourned for the kids, screaming, "Meri jaan the woh (they were my life)! Please bring them back. Mere bachche chale gaye (my children are gone)." A neighbour said, "They came to India after so long to celebrate such a wonderful day and met such a horrible situation." Another said, "Only because they couldn't get a direct flight from Mumbai to London, they chose to go to Ahmedabad. This move cost them their entire family." Meanwhile, on Thursday, the remains of co-pilot Clive Kunder will be buried at Sewri Christian Cemetery around 3.00 pm. In Dombivli, the last rites of airhostess Roshni Songhare will be performed in the local Shamshan Bhumi. There was a delay in despatching her remains after the DNA verification procedure. The body of Badlapur-based AI cabin crew member Deepak Pathak has not been identified yet.
Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Indian Express
‘Unable to find a direct flight, London-based family opted for Air India flight from Ahmedabad'
It was meant to be a fun-filled homecoming for Eid. Instead, it ended in heartbreak for the Syed family. Javed Ali Syed, a UK-based hotel manager originally from Malad in Mumbai, had flown down with his wife Mariam and their two young children, four-year-old Zayn and six-year-old Amani, at the beginning of the month to celebrate Eid al-Adha with family and to be by his ailing mother's side. With no direct flight tickets available from Mumbai for their return journey to London, the family opted for a flight from Ahmedabad. That detour, however, proved fatal. Air India flight AI 171 they had boarded crashed shortly after takeoff two days ago, killing Javed, Mariam, and their two children, two of the youngest victims of the tragedy. Javed, a former resident of Malad, had moved to the UK a decade ago and subsequently gained citizenship. He worked as a manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel in London and had married Mariam, whom he met in the UK. 'He hadn't been here in years. Our mother had a heart attack recently and Eid was near, so he wanted to be here for both,' said Imtiyaz Ali Syed, Javed's brother. The family stayed in Malad for several days before travelling to Ahmedabad earlier this week to catch their return flight. 'We are devastated,' said Imtiyaz, who has travelled to Ahmedabad along with another family member to assist in the identification process and submit DNA samples. The bodies of the family have not yet been located. 'We wish they had taken a flight from Mumbai. Perhaps this would not have occurred,' Imtiyaz said.
News18
14-06-2025
- News18
Came To See Ailing Mother, Never Made It Back: UK Family Of 4 Lost In Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Last Updated: Javed's brother, Imtiyaz Ali, along with their uncle, Ayub Shaikh, has travelled to Ahmedabad to retrieve his remains and provide blood samples for DNA identification. The Ahmedabad plane crash has shattered several families, leaving them in shock. The families and friends of the victims are still struggling to process the loss and accept that their loved ones will not return. British national Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam, and their children Amani and Zayn were among the 241 victims who died after the London-bound AI 171 crashed on 12 June. Javed, who acquired British citizenship after marrying Mariam, moved to the UK 11 years ago. The family had travelled to Mumbai last week to visit Javed's ailing mother. 'She is suffering from a heart ailment, and moreover, the festival of Eid ul-Adha was scheduled to take place. So Javed came with his family to get her treated and celebrate the festival with us," cousin Saood Memon told the Times of India. He also added that the couple and their children had hoped to book a flight from Mumbai to London, but unable to secure one, they travelled to Ahmedabad to fly from there, according to the TOI report. Javed's brother, Imtiyaz Ali, along with their uncle, Ayub Shaikh, has travelled to Ahmedabad to retrieve his remains and provide blood samples for DNA identification. Javed worked as a manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel, while his wife, Mariam, was a brand ambassador at Harrods. The bodies of the British family have not yet been recovered. Imtiyaz, who was in Ahmedabad searching for the bodies of his brother, was deeply shocked by the incident. Meanwhile, the British High Commission in India has established a reception centre at the Ummed Hotel near Ahmedabad airport to offer support and guidance to the families and friends of British nationals. The victims include 53 British citizens. According to an official statement, the UK Reception Centre will be open from 9 am to 9 pm daily, starting today. In a post on X, the British High Commission in India stated, 'The UK has set up a Reception Centre in the Ummed Hotel to provide support and advice for the families and friends of British nationals following the plane crash on 12 June. The UK Reception Centre, near Ahmedabad airport, will be open from 09:00 to 21:00 every day, starting today." First Published: June 14, 2025, 18:25 IST
Time of India
14-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Decision to reach UK via Ahmedabad on not finding direct flight from Mumbai proved fatal for family
Javed Ali Syed , a manager at a London-based hotel, had come to India with his three family members to meet his ailing mother, but could not book a direct return flight from Mumbai and decided to reach the UK capital via Ahmedabad - a decision that turned fatal for them. Javed Ali, a British national hailing from Malad East in Mumbai, his wife Mariam (35) and their two children - Zayn (6) and Amani (4) - were on board the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad soon after taking off on Thursday afternoon. The family had flown to India last week to see Javed's mother, who is undergoing treatment for a heart condition. Javed had moved to the United Kingdom 11 years ago, where he met and married Mariam. He later acquired British citizenship and settled in Kensington, London. Mariam was employed as a brand ambassador at Harrods, London's famous luxury department store, while Javed managed the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel. "They were leading a happy life in London," said Javed's cousin Saood Memon. Live Events Javed's younger brother Imtiyaz Ali said, "They came here to get his mother treated and to celebrate Eid al-Adha with the family. As they could not find a direct flight from Mumbai , they went to Ahmedabad to fly back to London." After the plane crash incident, Imtiyaz and his uncle rushed to Ahmedabad to help the authorities in the identification of victims by providing their DNA samples. Imtiyaz said the family's return to India after a long gap turned tragic and he regretted their decision to take the Ahmedabad route. He said he would not rest till he gets the mortal remains of Javed and his family members. "We need a closure," he said.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
PIO, wife, kids were in city for mom's treatment, Eid
Mumbai: The picture perfect family of a man who rose from his humble origins in Malad to make a new life in the UK perished in the AI crash, with his two kids among the youngest victims of the disaster. British national Javed Ali Syed, his wife Mariam (35) and their two children Amani (4) and Zayn (6) had arrived in Mumbai last week to visit his ailing mother. Javed was a resident of Malad (E) before he moved to the UK 11 years ago. "He met Mariam there, married her and acquired British citizenship, leading a happy life," his cousin Saood Memon said. Mariam worked as brand ambassador at Harrods while Javed was manager at the Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel. Residents of Kensington, London, the family was in the city to get Javed's mother treated for a heart ailment and celebrate Eid ul' Azha. "They were not getting a direct flight from Mumbai, so went to Ahmedabad to fly back to London," Memon said. Javed's brother Imtiyaz Ali and an uncle are in Ahmedabad to provide blood samples for DNA test and bring back their remains. None of the bodies has been identified so far. Imtiyaz said his younger sibling and his family had come to India after a long time and regretted their decision not to fly from Mumbai. He said he was determined to search for their bodies so that the family can find closure. In the UK, Mariam's sister-in-law Yasmine Hassan, 45, wept as she confirmed the children's names. She urged local officials to offer support to the families of the 53 British citizens who were onboard. "We're not angry about the lack of answers (from UK govt officials), we understand that takes time. We're angry because no one has reached out to offer support or even ask if we need anything. These are British citizens," she told The Telegraph, UK. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
