Air India crash: tributes pour in to former Pattison student
241 passengers and crew were killed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport yesterday (12 June)
Last updated 13th Jun 2025
Aviation specialists will today begin to investigate what caused an Air India plane - bound for London Gatwick - to crash.
241 passengers and crew were killed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport.
One man survived - a 40-year-old man from Leicester.
Out of those who died in the tragedy, a performing arts school in Coventry says it's "saddened" to hear of the tragic loss of a former student.
British couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek ran a spiritual wellness centre and were passengers on-board.
Mr Greenlaw-Meek appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year, and former editor of the show Martin Frizell praised his "vibrancy" and "enthusiasm".
Whilst Pattison says Jamie Meek, who studied there, "lit up the room with his smile".
Yesterday, the school said: "The Pattison community is saddened to hear of the tragic loss of former student Jamie Meek.
"Jamie and his husband were passengers on the Air India plane that crashed shortly after take off.
"In the words of former Principal, Elizabeth McConnell, Jamie 'lit up the room with his smile and l’m sure will be remembered and missed by so many'.
"Our thoughts and condolences go out to Jamie’s family and the families of all the victims of this tragedy."
One British survivor
The sole British survivor has been visited by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Video footage shows Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, talking to Mr Modi while lying on his hospital bed.
The prime minister also visited the crash site.
Air India confirmed Mr Ramesh was the sole survivor of the 242 people on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner when it crashed into a medical college shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport.
It is one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed, and the first involving a 787.
Investigations are continuing into the cause of the crash.
At least five medical students were killed and about 50 injured.
Mr Ramesh was in seat 11A, next to one of the aircraft's emergency exits.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of each of those killed in the crash.
Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad airports to provide support in the wake of AI171's crash.
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
US transportation secretary Sean Duffy confirmed US teams from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board were also heading to India with support from Boeing and GE Aerospace.
He told reporters it was "way too premature" to ground Boeing 787s in the aftermath of the crash.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.