'Utterly Abandoned': British Victims' Kin Slam UK Govt's 'Inadequate' Response To Air India Crash

Last Updated:June 16, 2025, 18:19 IST

Families of three British victims have criticised the UK government, saying its response to the tragedy was "disjointed", "inadequate", and "painfully slow"

Wreckage of the crashed Air India plane being lifted through a crane in Ahmedabad. (Image: PTI/Kunal Patil)

The families of three British victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have claimed that they “feel utterly abandoned" by the UK government’s response to the Ahmedabad tragedy.

One of the worst air disasters in India, all but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 787-8 and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students, on the ground were killed when the London-bound aircraft crashed, moments after it took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Air India had said the passengers included 53 British nationals among 169 Indians, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Families of three British victims have criticised the UK government, saying its response to the tragedy was “disjointed", “inadequate", and “painfully slow", reported Sky News.

The families put out a statement, saying the British government should “immediately step up its presence and response on the ground in Ahmedabad". They said they rushed to India “only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction".

“There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital," a family spokesperson told Sky News. “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."

Another family member was quoted: “We’re not asking for miracles – we’re asking for presence, for compassion, for action. Right now, we feel utterly abandoned."

Among their key concerns are “lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains". The process is taking a long time due to DNA identification.

According to officials, so far, 99 victims have been identified through DNA matching and 64 bodies were handed over to their families as of Monday.

The British families demanded a “full crisis team" at the hospital in 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for the victims’ relatives. They said local hospital authorities told them that the delays in releasing bodies was due to “severe understaffing".

“Our loved ones were British citizens. They deserved better in life. They certainly deserve better in death," their statement was quoted.

WHAT IS THE UK GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE?

The UK High Commissioner to India, however, said teams in Britain and Ahmedabad were working around the clock to provide support to affected families and friends of British nationals.

Lindy Cameron, UK High Commissioner to India, visited the consular reception centre in Ahmedabad to oversee support efforts. She shared updates on this along with a video message on X.

“Our consular team and local partners are on the ground in Ahmedabad, offering care and support to affected families and friends of British nationals following the tragic plane crash. High Commissioner@Lindy_Cameronvisited the UK Consular Reception Centre today," Cameron wrote.

“This has been an incredibly difficult time and our thoughts are with everybody affected by this devastating incident. 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. The investigation is ongoing and the UK and India are working closely together to establish the facts," she said.

Cameron said a team of expert UK air accident investigators has arrived in India and is supporting the Indian-led investigation on the ground.

“Please continue to check our travel advice for the latest updates. And once again I just want to say thank you to the authorities here in Ahmedabad and to so many people in this city who have come forward to help. That’s what I said to Prime Minister Modi when I met him earlier in the week", she said.

“Our consular team and local partners are on the ground in Ahmedabad, offering care and support to affected families and friends of British nationals following the tragic plane crash. High Commissioner @Lindy_Cameron visited the UK Consular Reception Centre today", the post noted.

In another post on X, the British High Commission said: “British nationals who require assistance, or have concerns for family or friends call: +91 (11) 2419 2100 (in India), +44 (0) 207 008 5000 (in the UK)" (sic)

(With agency inputs)

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News world 'Utterly Abandoned': British Victims' Kin Slam UK Govt's 'Inadequate' Response To Air India Crash