Air India Crash Fallout: UK Families Devastated After Receiving Wrong Bodies
A tragic twist has emerged in the aftermath of the Air India Flight 171 crash, as grieving British families have been handed the wrong remains of their loved ones.
At least two confirmed cases of mistaken identity have come to light, with authorities revealing that in one disturbing instance, the remains of two individuals were “commingled” and placed in the same casket. The families were left to separate them before they could hold funerals.
The crash, which occurred on 12 June when the aircraft lost power en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, claimed the lives of all 261 on board. Among them were 52 British nationals.
In West London, Inner Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox has now intervened. She’s ordered mandatory DNA verification for all bodies being repatriated to the UK. The process, however, has already left several families in shock.
One grieving family had to halt their funeral plans altogether. They were informed—only after the body arrived—that the person in the casket wasn’t their relative.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the issue directly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Britain this week. A formal inquiry involving both British and Indian authorities is already underway.
Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, representing several affected families, told The Mail: “I’ve been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back.”
“But some of them have got the wrong remains, and they are clearly distraught over this. It has been going on for a couple of weeks (and) I think these families deserve an explanation.”
The families say the situation has been handled insensitively. No chance to view or identify the bodies. Just a paper label and an ID number. Nothing more.
Altaf Taju, from Blackburn, lost both parents—Adam, 72, and Hasina, 70—as well as his brother-in-law Altafhusen Patel, 51. He said he had no option but to trust what he was told.
“They just said, ‘This is your mother or father,’ and gave us a paper label with an ID number on it. We had to take their word for it. It’s horrific that this could have happened, but what could anyone do?”
Healy-Pratt described a heart-wrenching scenario involving another bereaved group: “Family X has no one to bury because it was the wrong person in their casket.
And if it isn’t their relative, the question is, who is it in that coffin? Presumably, it’s another passenger, and their relatives have been given the wrong remains.”
The crash site recovery was fraught with difficulty. Search crews, aided by sniffer dogs and local volunteers, worked around the clock. But the devastation was total. Many bodies were charred beyond recognition.
A UK Government spokesperson acknowledged the distress families are going through: “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.”
Despite swift recovery efforts—officials claimed all remains were located within three days—the repatriation process has spiralled into a diplomatic and humanitarian crisis.
With multiple grieving families still in limbo, awaiting confirmation of identities, calls for accountability and answers are growing louder.
This is no longer just a tragedy in the sky. It’s become a tragedy at home.
