Families affected by the Air India Flight 171 crash are reporting a deeply upsetting situation involving the incorrect identification and return of remains. UK-based reports suggest that in multiple cases, the mortal remains provided to families were not those of the identified deceased. This has caused profound distress to the grieving families.
One instance involved a British family who had to cancel a funeral after finding the body in the coffin was not their family member. Furthermore, the remains of another individual were purportedly found in the same coffin as the victim, requiring forensic analysis to separate them before final arrangements. The error came to light after standard DNA testing, which is performed to identify victims, revealed the discrepancies. The matter was reportedly brought to the attention of the authorities by Dr. Fiona Wilcox, a West London Coroner. It is expected that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may bring up the issue during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the UK, potentially turning the handling of the victims into a sensitive diplomatic dispute if more mistakes are discovered.