Air India crash victims' families received wrong bodies, report claims
What's the story
Some families of British victims from the Air India AI-171 crash have been sent the wrong remains, a report by Mirror UK has claimed. These inaccuracies were discovered after Inner West London coroner Dr. Fiona Wilcox attempted to verify the remains of British nationals transported from India by matching their DNA with samples provided by the relatives. Of the 260 crash victims, 52 were British. Their remains were identified using DNA tests and dental records and sent to the UK.
Family turmoil
Some families had to cancel funeral arrangements
The mix-up has left many families distraught and confused. In one case, a family had to cancel funeral arrangements after learning that the coffin contained an unidentified passenger's body instead of their relative's. Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt said, "I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month... But some of them have got the wrong remains, and they are clearly distraught over this."
Investigation progress
'Commingled' remains of multiple victims found in a single casket
In another instance, "commingled" remains of multiple victims were found in a single casket. The family of these victims was eventually able to separate the remains for a funeral service. Another person, Altaf Taju, who lost three family members in the crash, told Daily Mail, "We weren't allowed to. They just said 'this is your mother...father' and gave us a paper label with an ID number on it...It's horrific that this could have happened, but what could anyone do?"
More cases
There could be more cases
According to the Daily Mail, there are fears that there may be more cases in which families have been given the wrong body or remains. At the moment, the UK government has refused to comment on the matter, with a spokesperson saying, "Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities. We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them."
Forensic analysis
Keir Starmer to discuss issue with Modi during UK visit
After the crash, nearly 40 officials from Gujarat, including teams from the Directorate of Forensic Science and National Forensic Sciences University, worked on DNA matching. Over 50 experts from various departments were involved in testing, with rigorous blood sample collection at BJ Medical College. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to discuss this issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming state visit to the UK next week.