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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Air India crash widow is sent the remains of her husband in TWO coffins - as more horrors emerge following botched recovery of UK victims
Horrific new blunders in the operation to identify and repatriate victims of the Air India disaster emerged last night as the grim scandal began to widen. When one family unzipped the body bag shown to them at a mortuary, they were reportedly aghast to find two heads – one belonging to their relative, the other unrecognisable. And a distraught British widow received the remains of her husband in two coffins, delivered weeks apart, obliging her to cremate him twice. The heart-rending mix-ups were revealed as a lawyer representing about 30 of the 53 bereaved British families insisted flaws in the process were widespread, with more claims of relatives being given the wrong remains. While the fiasco has hitherto been blamed on the incompetence of Indian rescue workers and doctors, aviation law specialist Sarah Stewart says some responsibility lies with the team sent by the UK Government to assist them. 'Sadly, the stories of mixed remains have been repeatedly recounted to us by families we represent,' said Ms Stewart. 'Our clients feel that they were let down, with allegedly apparent mistakes by the forensic teams in India and insufficient support by British consular services, the Foreign Office and the British crisis response teams. We have been working with [British] families to prepare a letter to the Prime Minister to address these distressing errors.' On Wednesday, the Daily Mail revealed how the grief of two British families had been exacerbated by the botched operation. The following day, Sir Keir Starmer raised concerns with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during his visit to London. Mr Modi is said to have agreed that this was extremely distressing for the families of the victims. A government spokesman said: 'Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities.' In one case, an unnamed family were told the wrong body had been returned. The error only emerged when a DNA match found by the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad was double-checked by scientists acting for Inner West London Coroner's Court. The lab also found the remains of microbiologist Shobhana Patel, 71, from Orpington in Kent, had been commingled in the coffin with those of an unknown victim. Indian scientists had identified Mrs Patel – who was travelling back to London on Air India Flight 171 with her husband, Ashok, 74 – using DNA supplied by her son, Miten. That his mother's remains had to be separated from the other person's before she could be cremated in a Hindu ceremony this week has deepened his family's trauma. He said: '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. There's a lot of anger and frustration.' For Miten, poignant consolation has come with the return of a ring his father was wearing. He is sure it would have been on the hand clutching his mother's as the plane crashed and will wear it in their memory. How the mistakes happened is now under severe scrutiny. Since 81 of the 242 on board the aircraft had the surname Patel, there are suggestions this may have caused confusion. But Mahnendra Patel, 54, who lost his mother, brother and nephew, pointed out every Patel also has another last name which acts as their 'bar code'. Instead he puts it down to a recovery operation that differed from those we see after disasters here. He added: 'They were taking relatives' DNA samples round the clock but they could only do about 15 or 20 tests a day, so the bodies were put in bags, marked with an identity code and stacked in the freezer.' It was when they unzipped one of these bags that a family found the two heads, according to the Times of India. When DNA tests threw up a positive match, relatives were asked to sign for their family members and be photographed with their assigned coffins, says Mahnendra. International emergency services specialists Kenyon then flew them to Britain. Checks in London have thankfully proved Mahnendra received his loved ones' remains. However, the Indian coroner's report said the three bodies would be intact, with his nephew's broken leg the only visible injury. But the British report lists multiple fractures and one of his mother's hands is missing. 'I don't blame them,' Mahnendra says. 'It's a Third World country, so you are going to get a bit of a mix up.'
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Families of British Air India crash victims 'feel utterly abandoned' and hit out at government
The families of three of the British victims of last week's Air India crash in Ahmedabad have criticised the UK government's response to the disaster, saying they "feel utterly abandoned". It comes after an Air India Dreamliner from Ahmedabad airport in western India, killing 229 passengers and 12 crew. One person on the flight survived. Among the passengers and crew on the Gatwick-bound aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. In a statement, the families of three British citizens who lost their lives said they were calling on the UK government to "immediately step up its presence and response on the ground in Ahmedabad". The families say they rushed to India to be by their loved ones' sides, "only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction". "There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital," said a family spokesperson. "We are forced to make appointments to see consular staff based 20 minutes away in a hotel, while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital. "We're not asking for miracles - we're asking for presence, for compassion, for action," another family member said. "Right now, we feel utterly abandoned." Read more: The families listed a number of what they called "key concerns", including a "lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains". They also demanded a "full crisis team" at the hospital within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for relatives of the victims. Sky News has approached the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment. Families and friends of the victims have already - mostly aimed at the authorities in India - over the lack of information. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the latest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Sky News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Families of British Air India crash victims 'feel utterly abandoned' and hit out at government
The families of three of the British victims of last week's Air India crash in Ahmedabad have criticised the UK government's response to the disaster, saying they "feel utterly abandoned". It comes after an Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India, killing 229 passengers and 12 crew. One person on the flight survived. Among the passengers and crew on the Gatwick-bound aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national. In a statement, the families of three British citizens who lost their lives said they were calling on the UK government to "immediately step up its presence and response on the ground in Ahmedabad". The families said they rushed to India to be by their loved ones' sides, "only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction". "There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital," said a family spokesperson. "We are forced to make appointments to see consular staff based 20 minutes away in a hotel, while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital. "We're not asking for miracles - we're asking for presence, for compassion, for action," another family member said. "Right now, we feel utterly abandoned." The families listed a number of what they called "key concerns", including a "lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains". They also demanded a "full crisis team" at the hospital within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for relatives of the victims. A local doctor had "confirmed" the delays in releasing the bodies were "linked to severe understaffing", according to the families. Sky News has approached the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment. Families and friends of the victims have already expressed their anger and frustration - mostly aimed at the authorities in India - over the lack of information.
The Sun
08-06-2025
- The Sun
I help Brits move to Spain -these stunning beach towns with 3-bed homes from £500-a-month are perfect for expats
ONE in five Brits admit to daydreaming about ditching the UK for a new life in sunny Spain. It's no surprise when you discover you can escape the Great British gloom for a three-bed in the Med for just £500-a-month. 8 The 2024 British Expat Report shows even more British families are considering emigrating in the next five years, with 11 per cent ready to leave right now. According to the data, 532,000 Brits emigrated last year, with 45% craving a better quality of life, 39% blaming the cost-of-living crisis and 37% just sick of our miserable weather. Millene Adaime works for relocation experts, Movinn, who help people move to Spain and Portugal from overseas. Over recent years, the demand for expats seeking a new life in Spain has increased, with more families reaching out to them for help. She told Sun Travel: "Spain used to have the reputation of being somewhere to retire to in your 60s and 70s, but we are getting more requests from modern families or young entrepreneurs who are looking for a different way of life. "The cost of living here is more affordable, and, of course, we have a fantastic climate." With demand growing, areas typically popular with Brits flying south for the sun are becoming crowded and more expensive. Boozy Benidorm has long been the Brit bolthole of choice, but Millene says the party playground is not necessarily the cheapest spot on the coast. She said: "Brits tend to favour areas they already know, like Benidorm, and due to the popularity of British movers to the area, the suburbs outside the tourist hub are very nice and very desirable. "However, the downside is that prices are on the rise and it's not the cheapest place to move to now." 8 8 Plan ahead Milene warns families also need to take into account other things that may end up costing more money down the line. She said: "We identify our clients' needs and make suggestions that might make life easier once they move in. "For example, if you have kids and would like them to attend an International school, where they speak primarily in English, moving to an area with a good school that has space available is highly recommended. "You don't want to base your family somewhere and land yourself with a terrible commute. "Some areas are better for families and some are more suited to young professionals. "Of course, our retired residents tend to favour the south of Spain, due to the year-round warm weather." Milene says when her clients ask for advice, she tailors it to suit their needs. She said: Some people who come to Spain from the UK want a completely different way of life. They want to embrace Spanish culture and go all-in. "Cádiz in the south is very Spanish. It's a traditional community where people leave their front door open and it's very social. "It's a place where your friends will just walk into your home, uninvited. A lot of Brits are thrown by this. "Some people want to move here for the weather and be around other British people. "That's fine, but I would recommend a different area to them, where life is a bit closer to home." With more people working from home than ever and incentives for business start-ups in countries like Spain, it's no wonder that so many of us dream of a new life on the beach. Do you imagine yourself soaking up the sun after work and spending weekends sipping €3 Cava under a palm tree? If you are considering a Mediterranean move, these are the Spanish spots you should be looking at this year: Best all-rounder - Alicante 8 This is a good choice for Brits wanting to start a new life in Spain. Alicante is a well-rounded city with beaches, international schools, good healthcare, and excellent public transportation. It's a popular choice for British families and has a strong expat community, which will help you settle in and feel more at home. Look at suburbs like San Juan or El Campello, since they are particularly family-friendly. Expect to pay: A three-bed house in El Campello, close to the beach: £1,000-a-month. Three bed apartments can be found for £750-a-month. Best for budget - Torrevieja 8 Torrevieja is a beautiful coastal area, just south of Alicante. The rustic coastline is less populated and made up of a series of secluded coves and sandy beaches. It's less crowded than the more famous tourist areas and cheaper than many other coastal towns, since it's very small and quaint. However, expats are catching on and Torrevieja has started to build a significant British population. It offers a quieter, simpler lifestyle with essential amenities like parks, beaches, and English-speaking services, making it ideal for families looking for lower rental costs. Expect to pay: A three-bed apartment with a balcony and a partial sea view: £506-a-month. A three-bed house with gardens and shared pool: £1,000 per month. Best for families - Malaga 8 With claims of over 300 sunny days a year, Málaga is popular with sun-seeking Brits. Compared to other European cities, it is considered very affordable and has a stretch of beautiful beaches. Málaga features several international schools, including the British School of Málaga, and Brits can enjoy very convenient flight links to the UK all year round. Away from the nightlife strip, the coastal suburbs like Pedregalejo and Rincón de la Victoria are excellent for families. Expect to pay: A three-bedroom house in Pedregalejo: £1,500-a-month. A three-bedroom apartment with sea views in Rincón de la Victoria is £1,100 a month Best for young professionals - Seville 8 A city rich in culture and charm, Seville offers a warm climate and a more relaxed pace of life. It's a good option for families seeking a more traditional Spanish experience, but Brits might be put off that there is no beach. The closest beach is inside the Donana National Park, an hour from Seville. While there are fewer international schools than in Alicante, but bilingual education options are available if you want the kids to learn Spanish too. Affordable housing with a bit more space can be found in areas like Mairena del Aljarafe, outside the city centre. Expect to pay: A semi-detached home in a serviced complex with a shared pool: £1,338 a month. A three-bed apartment in Mairena del Aljarafe: £700 euro a month.
Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
‘People are dying, we are not safe': Britons in Kashmir beg to leave
British families stranded in Kashmir have begged to be evacuated from a 'holiday turned nightmare' as Pakistan and India exchange heavy gunfire. Khola Riaz, who lives in Luton, travelled last month to Kotli, a mountainous town in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with her four-year-old son, Esa, to visit her unwell father. But within a week, her parents' hometown had become the centre of a military standoff between the two nuclear-armed states. Several British families in Kotli, which straddles the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, have said they were forced into a lockdown as at least five civilians were killed in an intense night of artillery exchanges. • India-Pakistan live: nations strike airbases and move closer to war 'The bombing
