At least two families of Air India crash victims in the UK have received the incorrect bodies, as stated by their lawyer. Sources from India indicated that the bodies were dispatched in sealed coffins following DNA testing conducted by a government hospital in Ahmedabad, and the airline was not involved in the error.

“The remains of the crash victims were misidentified and transported to the UK,” a lawyer from Keystone Law, representing the families, informed India Today TV. The error came to light when the coroner in London sought to confirm the identities of the deceased by comparing their DNA, the lawyer noted.

“One family had to cancel their funeral arrangements after the coroner informed them that the coffin contained the body of an unidentified individual rather than their family member,” the lawyer explained. Another family received the remains of their relatives mixed with those of another passenger, with both sets of remains placed in the same coffin, according to the lawyer.

“The family had to separate the remains of the two passengers before proceeding with the funeral of their loved one,” the lawyer told India Today TV. “One family was left without anyone to bury after discovering they had received the incorrect remains.”

The crash of Gatwick-bound AI171 in Ahmedabad on June 12 resulted in the deaths of 241 individuals on board. Among those who perished in the air disaster were 53 British nationals, as reported by the BBC. The Daily Mail reported that the funerals of several British citizens were held in India, while the remains of 12 passengers were sent to the UK. The remains were returned to the families after DNA tests were performed at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, as most of the bodies were too charred to be recognized.

Sources informed India Today Digital that the remains were delivered by the government hospital in sealed coffins to the next of kin, with Air India playing no part in the process other than facilitating the transfer and assisting the grieving families.

“The Ahmedabad hospital contacted the relatives for DNA samples and provided them with the sealed coffins, while Kenyons International Emergency Services, an agency contracted by Air India, aided the bereaved relatives during this process,” the source stated.

“We are currently working to establish the sequence of events regarding how the passengers’ bodies were recovered and identified,” the lawyer told India Today TV, noting that an inquiry had been requested into the situation. The confusion surrounding the receipt of the remains came to light when Inner West London coroner Dr. Fiona Wilcox sought to confirm the identities of the repatriated Britons by comparing their DNA with samples submitted by the families.

“While some victims were either quickly cremated or buried in India, in line with their religious customs, the remains of at least 12 have been repatriated,” aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, who represents several British families, informed The Daily Mail. Healy-Pratt is actively assisting British families in uncovering the complete truth about the crash and ensuring they receive appropriate compensation through legal channels, as reported.

SOME FAMILIES RECEIVED INCORRECT REMAINS AND DESERVE CLARIFICATION: HEALY-PRATT
Healy-Pratt is currently investigating the allegedly flawed identification process. “I have been visiting the homes of these wonderful British families over the past month, and the first thing they express is their desire to have their loved ones returned,” the lawyer told the Mail.

“However, some of them have received the wrong remains, and they are understandably devastated by this. This situation has persisted for a couple of weeks, and I believe these families are entitled to an explanation,” the news outlet quoted Healy-Pratt as saying.

While the family that received the mixed remains was able to separate them and hold a funeral, the other family — identified as Family X — remains in a state of uncertainty. “Family X has no one to bury because the person in their casket is not the right individual. If it isn’t their relative, then the question arises: who is in that coffin? It is likely another passenger, and their family has been given the incorrect remains,” he explained to the tabloid.

The lawyer mentioned that he is currently working to clarify the exact sequence of events regarding the recovery and identification process, starting from when the bodies were retrieved from the burning wreckage of the jet. Families relied on officials to manage the process correctly and to ensure that the containers were accurately labeled.

Altaf Taju, a mourning son who lost three family members in the plane crash, stated, “No one examined the remains. We were not permitted to.” Taju, hailing from Blackburn, lost his parents, Adam, 72, and Hasina, 70, who were based in London. They were traveling with their son-in-law, Altafhusen Patel, 51, who also perished in the incident.

“They simply said, ‘This is your mother or father,’ and handed us a paper label with an ID number. We had to trust their word. It is horrifying that this could occur, but what could anyone do?” Taju expressed, as reported by The Daily Mail. Taju learned about the mix-up from a police liaison officer. He finds solace in knowing that his parents and brother-in-law were not part of the confusion, as they were buried promptly in India, according to The Daily Mail.

With the preliminary report released, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigation is now concentrating on analyzing data retrieved from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) — collectively referred to as the black box — along with evidence from the wreckage site.