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Wellness couple among Air India flight victims

Wellness couple among Air India flight victims

Yahoo13-06-2025

Tributes have been paid to a couple with Kent connections who were among the 53 Britons killed after an Air India flight bound for London crashed on Thursday.
Jamie and Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, aged 45 and 39 respectively, ran The Wellness Foundry in Ramsgate and London.
They were among the 242 on board the flight which crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport.
Air India has confirmed there was only one survivor from the crash, which is one of the deadliest on record in terms of the number of British nationals killed.
The cause remains unknown and investigators are still searching for the two black boxes that will provide more details.
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What we know so far about Air India flight AI171?
Who were the victims?
What could have caused Air India plane to crash in 30 seconds?
Jamie and Fiongal were due to be hosting workshops at Ramsgate Pride this Saturday.
Event organisers said on Instagram that they were "absolutely heartbroken" by the news.
Jamie grew up in Birmingham before moving to Liverpool at the age of 12 and then to Coventry four years later.
Pattisons, where Jamie attended school from the age of 16, said they were "saddened" by his "tragic loss".
Former principal, Elizabeth McConnell, said Jamie "lit up the room with his smile and I'm sure will be remembered and missed by so many".
Fiongal, from London, founded The Wellness Foundry in 2018 with Jamie joining as a managing director five years later.
The pair posted a video to social media on their last night in India, where Fiongal reflected on a "magical experience".
A family who lived in Gloucester were among the other British nationals thought to have died.
Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were all on board the flight.
Adam Taju, his wife Hasina, and their son-in-law, Altafhusen Patel - who all lived in London - were also passengers
Of the 242 passengers and crew on board the plane, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian.
The sole survivor, British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh who sat in seat 11A, is recovering in hospital. His brother has said that he "has no idea how he survived".
Families are currently giving DNA samples to help identify the remainder of the victims.
At least eight people who were not on the Air India plane have also died in the crash, a senior health official in Ahmedabad has told the BBC.
Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Who are the victims of the Air India plane crash?
What could have caused Air India plane to crash in 30 seconds?
What we know so far after Air India flight to London crashes in Ahmedabad

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