Families of victims from the Air India Flight 171 crash are reporting a devastating situation where they were sent the wrong mortal remains of their loved ones. Multiple reports from the UK indicate that in at least two instances, the remains provided did not match the identities of the deceased as confirmed by their families. This has caused immense pain and distress to the affected families.
One British family had to cancel the funeral of their family member after discovering the body in the coffin was not their loved one. In another case, the remains of a different individual were found combined in the same coffin as the victim, necessitating forensic examination before the final rituals could proceed.
The errors were uncovered through standard DNA matching procedures conducted to identify the deceased. Dr. Fiona Wilcox, a West London Coroner, reportedly brought the issue to the attention of the authorities. Discussions are underway about the possibility of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer raising the matter with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to the UK. The mishandling of the victims’ remains is expected to become a sensitive diplomatic concern if further errors are revealed.
