Ahmedabad: Amanda Donaghey, who traveled from the United Kingdom to Ahmedabad to honor her son Fiognal Greenlaw Meek and his partner Jamie, both among the 241 passengers killed in the AI171 crash, stated that British authorities have successfully identified remains that were allegedly sent to her mistakenly as her son's. She mentioned that officials are now waiting for information from the Indian government to repatriate the remains to the family to which they belong.
Visit to Crash Site
On Friday, Donaghey visited the crash site at the Atulyam block of the BJ Medical College hostel, accompanied by other grieving relatives. With a family member by her side, she walked up to the charred building and broke down. She carried a book she had compiled about her son and showed it to others present. She also left a tribute at the site, placing a couple's photograph of Fiognal and Jamie along with a dog soft toy on the bricks and ash.
Appeal to Authorities
Speaking to the media at the site, Donaghey said: “The British authorities have been able to identify him or found identifiable characteristics of him. All they are waiting for is the Indian government to allow them the information to repatriate him. I hope you can reach out to the government and make sure that the family of this match actually get their loved one back.”
Ongoing Efforts
Donaghey had previously drawn attention in the UK for her efforts to obtain the correct remains of her son. In interviews with UK media, she stated that the remains labeled as Fiongal and sent to her by Indian authorities were reportedly of an elderly person. Her lawyer remarked that while a tragedy of such scale creates identification challenges, “there still needs to be transparency and accountability, because the families deserve it.”
After leaving the crash site, Donaghey had earlier expressed in UK media statements that she hoped to get answers, saying, “I feel very personally uncomfortable with the fact that I went there to get him and I failed.”
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About the Author: Parth Shastri is a senior assistant editor covering a wide range of Gujarat-related issues for nearly two decades. He looks after health and higher education as primary beats and also covers extensively on premier educational institutes, public health, science and technology, startups, space and archaeology related to Gujarat.
