Mark Wright apologises for social media post about planes uploaded same day as deadly Air India crash
After a fierce backlash on social media, former TOWIE regular Mark Wright has apologised for a social media post about planes that sparked outrage on the same day as a deadly Air India crash killed at least 260 people.
Mark Wright has apologised for a social media post about planes that sparked outrage on the same day as a deadly Air India crash killed at least 260 people.
The crash involved a Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers, including 53 British nationals, which came down moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, India. Former TOWIE regular and TV and radio presenter Mark’s controversial post featured a photo of himself, his wife Michelle Keegan and their baby daughter Palma in front of a private jet, with a caption complaining about the lack of legroom on standard planes. He said in a statement posted on Instagram after major backlash to his upload erupting on social media: “I apologise for a post I just put up on my page after today’s heartbreaking events.”
Mark deleted the post at the centre of the row shortly afterwards and said in his apology statement the message had been scheduled before the tragedy occurred.
He said: “I have posts from a holiday that are on the scheduled setting, which go out on future days I have set them for which was done last week.
“It’s a horrendous coincidence that today’s post was on such a devastating day. Once I logged in to my Instagram and realised the post had gone out, I immediately deleted.
“My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected from today. I’m sorry for this mistake and any offence caused.”
Several followers criticised the post, with one commenting: “Prob not the best day to post this when so many people lost their lives on a plane,” and another adding: “Not really appropriate to put this up after today’s plane crash.”
The crash occurred at around 1.40pm local time, when the Dreamliner lost control shortly after takeoff and crashed in the Meghani area of Ahmedabad, a densely populated part of the city.
CCTV footage showed the plane descending rapidly with its landing gear deployed before it hit the ground and exploded in a large fireball.
Among the victims were 159 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The passengers included 11 children, two of whom were newborns.
Some locals were also killed as the aircraft struck offices and accommodation near a hospital.
The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British citizen seated in 11A, told the Hindustan Times he had lived in London for 20 years.
The regional police chief confirmed that locals had died in the crash due to the plane hitting buildings.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the crash as “absolutely devastating” and said the investigation would “take some time”.
Aviation experts speculated that the Dreamliner might have lost power during the critical phase of takeoff, possibly due to rapid wind changes or a bird strike causing a double engine stall.
