Grieving relatives forced to make appointments at hotel while loved ones lie unidentified in overwhelmed Indian hospital
Devastated families of British victims killed in last week’s catastrophic Air India crash have launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s response to the disaster, claiming they feel “utterly abandoned” in their darkest hour.
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” after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed moments after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
The Air India Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, plummeted from the sky on June 12, crashing into a medical college hostel in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmedabad. Among the victims were 53 British nationals, many of whom were returning home after family visits or holidays in India.
‘No UK Leadership Here’
In an emotional statement that laid bare their frustration, the bereaved families painted a picture of chaos and neglect as they struggle to identify and recover their loved ones’ bodies.
There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital,” said a family spokesperson, describing the harrowing conditions they face at Ahmedabad’s overwhelmed Civil Hospital.
The families revealed they had rushed to India expecting support, “only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction.
Most damning was their revelation about the practical difficulties they face: “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”.
‘Not Asking for Miracles’
The emotional plea from the families struck at the heart of what they see as a fundamental failure of care and compassion.
“We’re not asking for miracles – we’re asking for presence, for compassion, for action,” another family member said, highlighting the basic support they feel is missing during their nightmare ordeal.
The criticism comes as a stark contrast to the UK government’s official statements about its response to the tragedy.
UK Officials Defend Response
UK High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, had posted on social media that “Our consular team and local partners are on the ground in Ahmedabad, offering care and support to affected families and friends of British nationals.
Cameron added: “Teams in the UK and here in Ahmedabad are working around the clock to ensure that we’re able to support British nationals, friends and families affected.
However, these assurances appear to ring hollow for families on the ground who are dealing with the traumatic reality of identifying bodies and navigating a foreign hospital system during their grief.
Tragedy Strikes British Families
Among the British victims was a family of four who had been holidaying in India. Mariam Ali Syed, her husband Javed, and their two children, Zayn, 5, and Amani, 4, were among the 242 people on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, according to relatives who spoke to The Telegraph.
Syed, 44, worked for the luxury London department store Harrods and was returning from a family vacation when disaster struck.
The victims represent a cross-section of British society, many with deep ties to India’s Gujarat state, where generations have forged connections with the UK through work, study, and family bonds.
Sole Survivor’s Miraculous Escape
In what officials are calling a miracle, Viswashkumar Ramesh, the only known survivor out of the 242 people onboard, managed to escape through an emergency exit. The 40-year-old British national was seated in 11A, next to the emergency door.
Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old told Indian media that he was a British national and was travelling to Britain with his brother after visiting family in India. His brother, who was seated elsewhere on the plane, did not survive.
Foreign Office Under Fire
The families’ criticism extends beyond the immediate response on the ground. Hassan told The Telegraph that the British Foreign Office has not offered anything similar as far as flying relatives to Ahmedabad, despite Air India arranging special flights from Delhi and Mumbai to help Indian families reach the crash site.
One relative, Yasmine Hassan, whose sister-in-law was among the victims, expressed frustration at the lack of practical support: “My sister-in-law, who is one of the passenger’s actual sisters, is saying, ‘I need to get to India'” but received no assistance from the Foreign Office.
DNA Samples and Identification Nightmare
The grim task of identifying victims has been complicated by the severity of the crash, with many bodies badly burned. About 200 relatives of the crash victims have offered DNA samples at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital as part of the identification process.
Families describe agonising waits with little information. We have had no news,” Gauswami said, according to CNN. “We keep asking but no one will tell us”, one mother told reporters after providing a DNA sample to identify her 19-year-old son.
Investigation Underway
The crash, which marked the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the model entered service in 2011, is now under investigation by Indian authorities with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and British investigators.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. (0809 GMT). It made a Mayday call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.
Flight tracking data showed the plane reached a maximum altitude of just 625 feet before beginning its fatal descent less than a minute after take-off.
Government Response Awaited
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment on the families’ criticism. The department had previously stated that “FCDO staff are working urgently with local authorities in India and the UK to ensure families and friends are supported.
As the investigation continues and families await the return of their loved ones’ bodies, the criticism from British families highlights the human cost of what they see as bureaucratic failures during their most desperate hour of need.
For now, grieving families remain in Ahmedabad, navigating not just their profound loss but also what they describe as an absence of the support they desperately need from their own government.
