British families mourning the victims of the plane crash in India are now dealing with another tragedy, wrongly identified remains of their loved ones.
The crash occurred on June 12 when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner headed for London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The plane hit a medical college building, killing 241 people onboard, including 52 British nationals. Nineteen others died on the ground, and 67 more were injured.
Now, several British families are reporting distressing issues with the repatriation process. According to aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, at least one family received a casket containing the body of an unknown individual. Another family was handed a coffin containing commingled remains, parts of more than one victim mistakenly placed in the same casket.
These revelations emerged after London coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox began verifying the victims’ identities using DNA samples. The identification mismatches have led to cancelled funerals and raised serious concerns about how the remains were handled.
While some victims were buried or cremated in India, at least 12 bodies were flown back to the UK. Healy-Pratt said the affected families are working with local MPs, the Foreign Office, and the Prime Minister’s Office to demand answers. He called the chain of custody “unacceptably poor.”
These developments come just days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to the UK, where he is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Families hope the issue will be raised during their talks.
A preliminary report on the plane crash India caused revealed that both fuel switches were moved to the cut-off position right after takeoff. This stopped fuel flow to the engines and caused the crash. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether it was a technical failure or human error.
The tragedy has left survivors and families devastated. The story of one Air India plane crash survivor has drawn global attention to the urgent need for accountability and improved safety measures.
