Families of the crash victims from Air India Flight 171 have alleged that the wrong mortal remains were sent to them following the devastating tragedy. A slew of reports from the UK have indicated that in at least two cases, the remains returned were not those of the deceased as identified by the families. The issue has caused anguish among the victims’ families.
According to a report, a British family had to call off the funeral of their loved one after discovering that the body inside the coffin was not that of their deceased family member. In another case, the remains of another individual were allegedly found conjoined in the same coffin with the victim, necessitating forensic sorting before the final rites could be performed.
How The Error Came To Light
The error came into the limelight when standard procedures to match the DNA of the deceased with their families were carried out. Dr. Fiona Wilcox, a West London Coroner, reportedly identified the issue and alerted the authorities.
As per media reports, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the matter with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s state visit to the UK next week. The handling of the victims is set to become a sensitive diplomatic issue if more such errors come to light.
Amid the uproar that the mix-up of dead bodies has caused over the internet, Air India Crash MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has detailed that Air India is working closely with UK authorities on addressing the concerns.
In response to media queries regarding a report on the Air India crash, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says – "We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention. In the wake of… pic.twitter.com/Z9QQEyFSP3
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025
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