A mother’s grief turned into a nightmare after she claims she was given the wrong body of her son who died in the Air India crash. Amanda Donaghey was left devastated when she discovered that the coffin she received did not contain the remains of her son Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, who perished in the tragic incident. The Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft bound for London, crashed soon after takeoff in India, claiming the lives of 241 individuals, leaving only one survivor.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Air-India-crash-wrong-body-claim-072725-01-68becf4015d744d0a6415184986b88a3.jpg)
Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, 39, and his husband Jamie, 45, were among the victims on the fateful flight, having been on their way back to the UK after celebrating their wedding anniversary in India. Donaghey, who resides in France, made the emotional journey to India to retrieve her son’s body for a proper send-off. However, she was shocked to find out that the remains she brought back to London did not belong to her son, as she had initially believed.
Arriving in India just five days after the crash, Donaghey provided a DNA sample to assist in identifying the bodies of the victims. Despite giving her blood for testing in hopes of finding a match for her son’s remains, the family’s anguish was far from over. After being led to believe by authorities that a match had been made and Fiongal’s body was in the coffin, their hopes were shattered when they received the heartbreaking news that it was not him.
As the family prepared for Greenlaw-Meek and Jamie’s funerals, the devastating truth was revealed to them during a meeting with police and family liaison officers. They were informed that the body Donaghey had brought back was not her son’s, leading to disbelief and confusion among the grieving relatives. Donaghey expressed her distress over the situation, stating, “We don’t know what poor person is in that casket. This is an appalling thing to have happened.”
Despite their efforts to seek clarity and bring Fiongal’s body home, the family faced challenges in getting answers from the authorities. With the support of an aviation lawyer representing multiple UK families affected by the crash, concerns about the misidentification of victims’ remains came to light. The emotional toll of the mix-up was described as a “double psychological trauma” by the lawyer, highlighting the additional anguish faced by families in such distressing circumstances.
In response to the alarming revelations, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaiswal acknowledged the concerns raised and assured that efforts were being made to address the issues brought to light. Collaborative efforts between Indian and UK authorities were emphasized in handling the situation with professionalism and respect for the deceased. The grief and uncertainty experienced by the families affected by the tragedy were acknowledged, with a commitment to supporting the coronial process.
The tragic aftermath of the Air India crash has left families grappling with unanswered questions and the painful reality of loss. As investigations into the incident continue, the focus remains on understanding the circumstances that led to the crash and ensuring accountability for the lives lost. The community affected by the tragedy remains united in seeking justice and closure amidst the complexities of the recovery and identification process.