New Delhi– As the nation mourns the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, a haunting video of two British travelers bidding farewell to India has gone viral on social media, believed to be their final post before boarding the doomed aircraft.
The video features Jamie Meek, a London-based yoga enthusiast, and his friend Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, as they prepare to return home from their holiday in India. Standing at the airport, the pair can be seen smiling and waving, saying “Goodbye India” before boarding the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London.
The aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon, was carrying 242 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens.
In the now widely circulated Instagram clip, Meek and Greenlaw-Meek reflect briefly on their experience in India. “We are at the airport just boarding. Goodbye India on a 10-hour flight back to London,” Meek says.
Fiongal adds light-heartedly, “My biggest takeaway is to not lose your patience with your partner.” Meek concludes the post with, “Going back happily, happily and happily calm,” moments before boarding the flight that would never reach its destination.
The emotional weight of the video has struck a chord with viewers around the world, highlighting the human stories behind the tragedy and underscoring the personal losses tied to the catastrophic crash.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted to the unfolding tragedy with a statement expressing deep concern. “The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating,” he said. “I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, as rescue and recovery efforts continue at the crash site in the Meghani Nagar area near the airport. (Source: IANS)
