A woman who lost her brother in the Air India crash that occurred on June 12 is speaking out about the additional trauma inflicted by receiving the wrong body. Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband Jamie, 45, were aboard the flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, which tragically took the lives of 242 individuals, including many in the surrounding area.
Arwen Greenlaw, Fiongal's sister, expressed her family's need for dignity and closure in an interview with BBC Newsnight, highlighting the accountability that must accompany such a grave error. The Foreign Office confirmed it continues to provide support to the bereaved families, stating that formal identification processes fall under the jurisdiction of Indian authorities.
"In this situation, dignity for my brother and closure for our family is paramount," Arwen stated, asserting that the misidentification of remains has exacerbated their grief. She criticized a perceived lack of forensic protocols at the crash site, noting that it was not secured for 48 hours. "This cannot happen again."
Describing the family's ongoing disbelief, Arwen reflected on the horrors they faced, with thoughts reminiscent of news stories rather than personal experiences. Her brother's remains were assumed to have been cremated as someone else's, adding unfathomable weight to their loss.
Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft's fuel supply was interrupted mere seconds after take-off, while cockpit voice recordings capture confusion between the pilots. A final incident report is anticipated in a year, but the families continue to endure their anguish in the meantime.
In the aftermath, Arwen's mother traveled to India for formal identification, only to return with remains that ultimately tested to be of two different individuals. "Finding out what should have been my brother's body was not," she expressed, describing the heart-wrenching process as feeling like losing him twice.
Continuing to honor the memory of Fiongal and Jamie, who co-founded The Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate, the family has been vocal about their desire for accurate identification. The pair had been preparing for workshops at the Ramsgate Pride event when their lives were tragically cut short.
Arwen lamented the loss of two halves of one soul—Fiongal and Jamie, who built their lives together. The Foreign Office reiterated its commitment to aiding affected families, emphasizing the sensitivity and professionalism with which remains were handled during this difficult time.
Miten Patel, whose parents Ashok and Shobhana Patel also perished in the crash, shared the distress his family faced when discovering additional remains in his mother's casket. As families grapple with their grief, India's foreign ministry has defended the identification processes as being conducted professionally and with respect for the deceased.
The resounding call from families affected by this tragedy is for accountability in the aftermath of the crash, underscoring the need for thorough, dignified processes during such critical moments.
