Relatives of a Gloucester family tragically killed in the recent Air India plane crash are voicing their frustration over the lack of support from the UK Government on the ground in India. Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa lost their lives while returning home to the UK, leaving loved ones devastated.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff on Thursday in one of the deadliest air disasters involving British nationals. The aircraft struck a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, India, resulting in 241 fatalities out of 242 people on board. The sole survivor is Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The flight manifest included 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
Mr. Nanabawa ran Iceberg Recruitment Services, with operations both in Gloucester and Ahmedabad. His wife, Hannaa, was a dedicated volunteer at a local Islamic school and a director of an interfaith organisation fostering understanding. Their family, described as “widely loved and deeply respected,” remains in shock following the tragedy.
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Family members who have traveled from the UK to Ahmedabad expressed profound disappointment at the absence of UK leadership and support at the hospital. “There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital,” a family spokesman said. “We are forced to make appointments with consular staff at a distant hotel while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched facility.”
Zaheera Nanabawa, cousin to Akeel, recalled how he was the “glue” that held the family together. “This news is absolutely shocking and devastating – it leaves a painful void in our lives,” she shared.
Imam Abdullah Samad paid tribute to the close-knit family, describing them as devoted parents to their beautiful young daughter. The family has raised crucial concerns regarding the lack of transparency in the identification and handling of remains. They have demanded the deployment of a full crisis team within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial assistance for victims' relatives.
According to the family, delays in releasing bodies have been linked to severe understaffing at the hospital, as confirmed by a local doctor. They have also called for an independent inquiry into the UK Government’s response, emphasizing that their loved ones, British citizens, deserve dignity and support in life and death.
Other Britons on the flight included individuals from various communities, such as Arjun Patoliya, who had traveled to Gujarat to scatter his late wife’s ashes; radiologist Dr. Prateek Joshi from Derby; sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi; and couples like Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek. UK air accident investigators are currently in India assisting Indian authorities with the investigation.