Air India plane crash: British wellness influencer couple Jamie and Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek killed in tragedy

A wellness influencer couple is among the victims of the tragic Air India plane crash, which claimed the lives of hundreds.

The London-bound flight carrying 242 passengers went down just moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport.

Jamie Meek and partner Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek were among those on flight AI171, which plummeted to the ground shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just minutes after leaving the runway around 1.40pm local time.

One man miraculously survived the horror crash.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British man, was rescued from seat 11A and is currently receiving treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa, according to local officials.

It is feared that all other passengers, as well as numerous individuals on the ground, did not survive the disaster. The death toll currently sits at 294.

Mr Meek’s brother Nick told The Independent he had been expecting the couple to return home around 6.30pm on Thursday.

He said Mr Meek, 44, and Mr Greenlaw-Meek, 39, who run The Wellness Foundry, had travelled to India for a 10-day wellness retreat.

Nick described his mother’s anguish as she heard the devastating news.

“She is not in a good way... it is all very raw for her at the moment. It’s a lot to take in, and we only heard this news a couple of hours ago.”

Before boarding the doomed flight, the wellness gurus appeared in what would be their final video on Instagram. In the clip, now widely circulated on social media, the couple can be seen preparing for their long-haul journey back to London, reflecting on their takeaways from their time in India.

“We are at the airport just boarding,” Mr Greenlaw-Meek said, before bidding farewell to India ahead of what his partner suggested would be a “10-hour flight back to England.”

At the end of the heartbreaking video, Mr Greenlaw-Meek said, “Going back happily, happily, happily calm.”

The Wellness Foundry specialises in psychic readings, tarot and aura interpretations, and has collaborated with major brands including Netflix, Google and Dior.

According to the company’s website, Mr Greenlaw-Meek founded the business in 2018 following a spiritual awakening brought on by a mysterious illness.

His husband, Mr Meek, joined the team in 2023 as co-director and head of events. He also offered psychic readings and life coaching.

In January, Mr Greenlaw-Meek appeared on a popular British morning television program to talk about people’s auras and what they mean.

He also appeared on Made in Chelsea stars’ Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo podcast to offer them a tarot card reading.

The couple were among 53 British nationals on board.

In addition to the British nationals, there were 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national on the plane, according to a statement from Air India.

Local media reports the plane crashed into the dining area of a doctor’s hostel, attached to a medical college, with authorities fearing people on the ground either died or were seriously injured.