The family of a British national who died in the Air India crash on its way to London has reportedly been handed the wrong body, according to a Daily Mail report. The mix-up came to light when a funeral had to be cancelled after the family discovered that the remains inside the coffin were not those of their relative.
In another disturbing instance, the remains of two separate victims were allegedly placed in the same coffin and had to be separated before burial.
James Healy‑Pratt, a lawyer representing several bereaved British families, said the handling of the remains has left relatives “distraught.”
“I’ve been meeting these wonderful British families over the past month, and all they want is to have their loved ones returned,” he told Daily Mail.
“But some have been sent the wrong remains, and they’re understandably devastated. This has been going on for a few weeks, and these families deserve clear answers.”
According to Healy‑Pratt, the family that received the wrong remains is now stuck in a painful state of uncertainty. He said they are still waiting for formal explanations from Air India and its emergency response partner, Kenyons International Emergency Services.
The report also noted that families are reaching out to their MPs, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and even the offices of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary – ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to London.
When asked about the reports of “commingled” remains, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said proper procedures were followed but promised to coordinate with UK authorities.
“We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK authorities since these concerns were raised. After the crash, victim identification was carried out as per established protocols and technical requirements. All mortal remains were treated with dignity and professionalism. We will continue to work with the UK side to address any issues,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
The crash in question involved Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8, which went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick on June 12. The tragedy claimed 241 of the 242 passengers on board and 19 people on the ground. Among the dead were 52 British nationals. The errors in handling bodies were reportedly flagged by Dr. Fiona Wilcox, the Inner West London coroner.
“If that coffin does not contain their relative, then whose remains are they? It likely belongs to another victim, which means another family has also received the wrong remains. This leaves the coroner with an unidentified body in her jurisdiction,” Healy‑Pratt pointed out.
According to the report, many bodies were badly charred, disfigured, or fragmented. Some victims were identified through DNA tests, while others were confirmed using dental records.
What NFSU in Gujarat said about DNA matching
The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gujarat was tasked with the challenging process of extracting and matching DNA from the crash victims and their families.
Officials explained that the process was extremely difficult because many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, making it hard to obtain usable bone samples.
“Under normal conditions, DNA extraction and profiling take only 30–40 minutes. But in this case, the process is much longer because in some bodies there is barely any bone left,” Dr. S. O. Junare, director of NFSU’s Gandhinagar campus, told ThePrint.
“It’s challenging to locate bone samples in remains reduced mostly to ash. In some cases, two-thirds of the body was burnt, so we have to repeat the extraction three or four times.”
