'Body mix-up added trauma': Air India tragedy's family seeks accountability
What's the story
The family of Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, a victim of the Air India crash, has expressed their anguish after receiving the wrong body. Arwen Greenlaw, Fiongal's sister, told the BBC that the body mix-up has "added trauma" to their grief. She is now seeking dignity and closure for her family and accountability from those responsible for mislabeling her brother's remains.
Interview
Want closure for the family
Greenlaw told the BBC she wanted "dignity" for her brother and "closure for the family." "If that is not possible - because the worst case scenario is that he has been cremated as somebody else - then we need to know that in order to move on," she added. Fiongal and his husband, Jamie, 45, were among the 242 passengers on the flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed on June 12.
Investigation concerns
Greenlaw raised concerns over 'lack of forensic protocols'
Greenlaw also raised concerns over the "lack of forensic protocols" at the crash site. She said the site was not closed for 48 hours, which could have led to mislabeling of remains. "It just can't happen again," she said. The Foreign Office said it is providing support to affected families with dedicated caseworkers but emphasized that formal identification is under Indian authorities' jurisdiction.
Ongoing investigation
Crash details and preliminary report
The crash occurred on June 12 when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. There were 242 people aboard, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. A preliminary report indicated fuel supply to the engines was cut off seconds after takeoff but did not clarify why. The final report is expected in 12 months.
Emotional distress
Family feels like they've lost him twice
Greenlaw said, in the days after the crash, their mother traveled to India for formal identification and returned with what she thought was her son's remains. However, further tests revealed the remains were of two different people. This has left the family in emotional turmoil as they feel like they've lost him twice. "We go up and down with feelings," Greenlaw said, highlighting their ongoing struggle for closure.
Family
Another family found 'other remains'
Greenlaw's remarks came just days after a memorial service was conducted in Wembley on Sunday to honor two passengers: Ashok and Shobhan Patel. Similar to the Greenlaw case, the Patels' son, Miten Patel, told the BBC that he discovered "other remains" in his mother's casket after her body was brought to the UK. Doctors had to identify Shobhan's body again, and the family was also able to get back his father's ring, which he was wearing when the plane crashed.