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Scottish Sun
28-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Our Brit daughter, 15, was killed by boat propeller while snorkelling in Maldives…we're forced to investigate ourselves
Jenna was allegedly beckoned into the water while guides tracked a pod of dolphins FAMILY'S PAIN Our Brit daughter, 15, was killed by boat propeller while snorkelling in Maldives…we're forced to investigate ourselves Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEVASTATED parents say they have been forced to investigate the death of their British daughter themselves after being refused support from officials. Jenna Chan, 15, was tragically killed by a boat propeller while on a school trip snorkelling in the Maldives. 2 Jenna Chan, 15, died in the horror snorkelling accident Credit: Collect 2 Her parents say they have been forced to investigate the cause of her death themselves Credit: GoFundMe British-Singaporean dual national Jenna was a student at St Joseph's International Institution and had been assisting the British registered charity, the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), in its research expedition. On November 8, the school girl was allegedly beckoned into the water but within minutes was "sucked under" when the engine was switched on. Her parents, Alan and Jennifer Chan, have said that more than a month after the tragic incident they are "still waiting for answers" and have "been forced to become their own investigators". As a state, the Maldives does not provide post-mortem examinations so the couple are hunting for information about their daughter's death "completely" on their own. Jennifer told The Times: 'We just want to know why Jenna died. There is no justice and we are completely on our own.' Alan flew out to the island in March to get hold of the hospital CT scans that were used by police to determine a possible cause of death. Jennifer, a surgeon, examined the pictures with her colleagues who she said were horrified "because Jenna's injuries were so horrific". The couple said they haven't even been allowed to speak to any of the teachers who were on board the boat at the time of the incident. They believe there was "no real investigation" into the accident, adding that there was a "chain of errors" throughout the excursion, they claim. According to some of the students, Jenna was reportedly instructed to enter the water while the guides tracked dolphins. At least six dead & two missing after boat capsizes on Lake Tahoe during terrifying storm causing '10-foot waves' The teenager was then allegedly "sucked up" by the engine before reportedly being brought to the nearest hotel instead of hospital. Michael Johnston, CEO of St Joseph's International Institution , previously wrote to the parents informing them that efforts to piece together what had happened to Jenna were being impeded by MWSRP. According to the school's boss, the company was "refusing" to provide access to their staff and crew for interviews. "We remain exasperated at their lack of co-operation," he said. There has been silence from the Maldivian government and all news about her has ceased Jenna's sister, Alice Chan Jenna's 17-year-old sister Alice has started a GoFundMe to raise awareness of the teen's accident and help with legal fees while the family fight for answers. The caption for the fundraiser reads: "My sister, 15 year old British-Singaporean Jenna Chan, was killed in a propeller accident during a school trip in the Maldives. "There has been silence from the Maldivian government and all news about her has ceased. "The circumstances leading to her sudden death and negligence of the company is truly shocking to our family and her teenage friends, who witnessed her death. "Please help support us during this tough time for our family and loved ones, and spread the word about her case. "All donations will go towards our fight for Jenna and protection of all future children and tourists, by providing our Maldivian lawyers with the legal fees and financial support to take more cases just like this one." We just want to know why Jenna died. There is no justice and we are completely on our own Jenna's mum, Jennifer Chan So far, £6,595 of its £10,000 has been raised. Jenna was laid to rest on November 15 in Singapore. A spokesperson for the young girl's school said that it had been "unrelenting" in its efforts to find out what happened and is still waiting on a report from the Maldivian authorities. In a statement, the school said: 'The school has been unrelenting in our efforts to piece together a full account of what happened. "The Maldivian authorities investigation is still ongoing and we have yet to receive their report. "The Maldivian authorities and MWSRP have not given us access to interview the boat captain and crew nor the MWSRP staff. These are critical pieces for all of us. 'I can confirm that the Maldives Police Service was in Singapore and with the support of the Singapore Police Force facilitated interviews with witnesses on May 27 and 28, 2025. "We continue to actively support the investigation. We have not and will not stop seeking answers and supporting those involved.' The MWSRP said: 'At the time of the incident, Ms Chan was under the supervision of two teaching staff from SJII and an experienced boat crew. "The emergency response was in accordance with our procedures and Ms Chan was taken directly to a local health centre.'
The Irish Sun
28-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Our Brit daughter, 15, was killed by boat propeller while snorkelling in Maldives…we're forced to investigate ourselves
DEVASTATED parents say they have been forced to investigate the death of their British daughter themselves after being refused support from officials. Jenna Chan, 15, was tragically killed by a boat propeller while on a school trip snorkelling in the Maldives. 2 Jenna Chan, 15, died in the horror snorkelling accident Credit: Collect 2 Her parents say they have been forced to investigate the cause of her death themselves Credit: GoFundMe charity , the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), in its research expedition. On November 8, the school girl was allegedly beckoned into the water but within minutes was "sucked under" when the Her parents, Alan and Jennifer Chan, have said that more than a month after the As a state, the Maldives does not provide post-mortem examinations so the couple are hunting for information about their daughter's death "completely" on their own. Read more on World Jennifer told Alan flew out to the island in March to get hold of the hospital CT scans that were used by police to determine a possible cause of death. Jennifer, a surgeon, examined the pictures with her colleagues who she said were horrified "because Jenna's injuries were so horrific". The couple said they haven't even been allowed to speak to any of the teachers who were on board the boat at the time of the incident. Most read in The Sun They believe there was "no real investigation" into the accident, adding that there was a "chain of errors" throughout the excursion, they claim. According to some of the students, Jenna was reportedly instructed to enter the water while the guides tracked dolphins. At least six dead & two missing after boat capsizes on Lake Tahoe during terrifying storm causing '10-foot waves' The teenager was then allegedly "sucked up" by the engine before reportedly being brought to the nearest hotel instead of hospital. Michael Johnston, CEO of St Joseph's International Institution , previously wrote to the parents informing them that efforts to piece together what had happened to Jenna were being impeded by MWSRP. According to the school's boss, the company was "refusing" to provide access to their staff and crew for interviews. "We remain exasperated at their lack of co-operation," he said. There has been silence from the Maldivian government and all news about her has ceased Jenna's sister, Alice Chan Jenna's 17-year-old sister Alice has started a GoFundMe to raise awareness of the teen's accident and help with legal fees while the family fight for answers. The caption for the fundraiser reads: "My sister, 15 year old British-Singaporean Jenna Chan, was killed in a propeller accident during a school trip in the Maldives. "There has been silence from the Maldivian government and all news about her has ceased. "The circumstances leading to her sudden death and negligence of the company is truly shocking to our family and her teenage friends, who witnessed her death. "Please help support us during this tough time for our family and loved ones, and spread the word about her case. "All donations will go towards our fight for Jenna and protection of all future children and tourists, by providing our Maldivian lawyers with the legal fees and financial support to take more cases just like this one." We just want to know why Jenna died. There is no justice and we are completely on our own Jenna's mum, Jennifer Chan So far, £6,595 of its £10,000 has been raised. Jenna was laid to rest on November 15 in Singapore. A spokesperson for the young girl's school said that it had been "unrelenting" in its efforts to find out what happened and is still waiting on a report from the Maldivian authorities. In a statement, the school said: 'The school has been unrelenting in our efforts to piece together a full account of what happened. "The Maldivian authorities investigation is still ongoing and we have yet to receive their report. "The Maldivian authorities and MWSRP have not given us access to interview the boat captain and crew nor the MWSRP staff. These are critical pieces for all of us. 'I can confirm that the Maldives Police Service was in Singapore and with the support of the Singapore Police Force facilitated interviews with witnesses on May 27 and 28, 2025. "We continue to actively support the investigation. We have not and will not stop seeking answers and supporting those involved.' The MWSRP said: 'At the time of the incident, Ms Chan was under the supervision of two teaching staff from SJII and an experienced boat crew. "The emergency response was in accordance with our procedures and Ms Chan was taken directly to a local health centre.'
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
‘We want to be a challenger in India,' says Dreame India's top executive
Consumer electronics and home tech company Dreame, which entered the Indian market in 2023, is positioning itself as a significant challenger as it aims to make premium cleaning and personal grooming tools accessible to buyers with smaller budgets, according to Dreame India Managing Director, Manu Sharma. 'When I joined in July last year, our market share [in robotic vacuums] was just 5%. And we are roughly about 25% now and by Q3, around the festive season, we want to be clearly number one and drive the growth in India,' said Mr. Sharma. He highlighted that the company's primary aim is to top India's robot vacuum market by the end of this year. This ambition comes as Indians are increasingly discovering the perks of high-tech vacuum cleaners, from robo-vacuums cleaning homes autonomously to wet-and-dry models that dust and mop simultaneously. While customers often associate these products with eye-watering luxury prices, Dreame, founded in China in 2017 and now operating in over 100 markets, sees an opportunity. The Indian market for smart cleaning devices, especially robotic vacuums, is nascent. 'So last year, for example, the robotic vacs market was 150,000 units,' Mr. Sharma explained. 'This year, we expect to double and we possibly would see that it will have a very high double-digit the penetration of these smart devices, especially robotic vacuums, would be less than 1%. So we want to take that leadership, we want to take that onus upon ourselves in terms of showcasing these products.' Dreame faces a strong contender in India: the British-Singaporean company Dyson, known for its high-end vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, and hair styling tools that command prime retail space. However, Mr. Sharma stressed that Dreame is more than just an affordable alternative, emphasising its own tech investments and originality. 'The way we look at it is, we also are technology-heavy,' he stated. 'Just to give you background, almost 60% of our employees are in R&D. We spend almost 7% of our revenue on R&D, which is much more than what typically our competitors do. So, we bring our own technology and we are very focused on that.' He added that globally, Dreame had applied for around 6,004 patents. Simultaneously, Dreame is attuned to the Indian consumer. 'We're very sensitive about the Indian market in terms of price points, so we have a whole range of products,' Mr. Sharma said. 'What I can say is we are uniquely positioned, where you get the world-class technology at much more value than you would get from other brands.' While Dreame's core business is robotic vacuum cleaners, Mr. Sharma sees a great opportunity in the wet-and-dry handle vacuum cleaners. The company is also working on robotic swimming pool cleaners, lawn mowers, and even robotic service caterers for eateries globally, alongside personal grooming tools. Recognising Dyson's strong offline footprint, Dreame, currently with a largely online presence, is planning its own expansion. 'We're going to be expanding our foray into the offline very soon,' Mr. Sharma confirmed, adding that 2025 would be a year of launches and announcements. Offline growth, he believes, is crucial for teaching customers about AI-powered features and for building a robust servicing team. He views these as 'opportunities' rather than challenges. Mr. Sharma further noted regional buying patterns, with South India contributing to 45-50% of business. 'Now, why is it so? Because people are much more educated, there is more literacy, and people are very conscious of what they want to do. And there are a lot of skill-based jobs available, so getting help is not easy,' he observed. Even in a country reliant on manual labour for cleaning, Mr. Sharma sees vacuum cleaners complementing existing help and offering convenience. 'I clearly foresee that the folks in India are very smart, technically-savvy... I see them using these products and doing something much more skill-based. So, it's a natural transition which happens.' Currently, Dreame's products are imported; a common practice for most vacuum cleaner makers in India due to low overall market penetration. However, local manufacturing is a future possibility. 'Because the market size is still small and clearly, over a period of time, if the market demand grows, we will see manufacturing happening here as well, including us,' Mr. Sharma said. He also confirmed no tariff impact on Dreame's products from U.S. policies, as manufacturing is in Asia. Looking ahead, Dreame plans to expand into other product categories in India. On the business environment, Mr. Sharma found the process 'very seamless.' 'I don't see any challenge whatsoever. There are clear guidelines. There are clear policies. You just follow the law of the land and you do your business. It's very simple,' he concluded. Dreame Factsheet Dreame is a Chinese smart home tech company founded in 2017, entering the Indian market in 2023 Dreame CEO Yu Hao is tech-focused and the company has expanded into 120 markets, including India The core line of business is robotic vacuum cleaners but the company is also working on robotic pool cleaners, lawn mowers, and even robotic service caterers in eateries, aside from personal grooming tools Dreame has applied for up to 6,004 patents worldwide Dreame has partnered with Amazon and Flipkart in India, and is planning offline forays that are yet to be announced Dreame signed on Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon as its first Indian brand ambassador as it focuses on growing its service capabilities, developing engineering and technical skills in the country, and expanding into new product categories There are Dreame service centres in over 165 cities at present Due to the low penetration of vacuum cleaners in India, Dreame's products are made in Asia and imported by a distributor in India By the end of 2025, Dreame aims to drive the market and grab the number one spot, especially when it comes to robotic vacuums.
