UK families await confirmation on DNA-matched remains of Air India crash victims
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London: Families of British nationals killed in the Air India 171 crash are awaiting confirmation of DNA matches for their relatives’ remains following high-level talks between the Indian and UK governments, their legal representatives said.
Keystone Law, which is assisting several affected families, has urged authorities to expedite the process. Aviation partner James Healy-Pratt said that some DNA-matched remains may have been located in India and confirmation is awaited.
The crash on 12 June claimed 241 lives, including 52 British nationals. Of the 12 caskets repatriated to the UK for last rites, two were reportedly mislabeled, raising concerns about the handling of remains.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to UK media reports, stressing that “all mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased”. It said it is continuing to coordinate with UK authorities to address concerns.
Keystone Law said that, based on a sample of 12 caskets, two were mislabeled and mishandled, which could indicate a 15 per cent error rate. “Extrapolated out – with an unacceptable error rate of 15 per cent, that would suggest 40 sets of remains may have been mislabeled, mishandled and misidentified. That is a known unknown, and many of the families' loved ones have been cremated already,” Healy-Pratt said.
An inquest into the deaths of British passengers was opened and adjourned in London last month, with the process overseen by the Senior Coroner.
The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s preliminary report found that fuel to both engines was cut off shortly after take-off, and attempts to restart the engines failed before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into Ahmedabad’s B.J. Medical College, killing 19 people on the ground.
Healy-Pratt criticized the lack of transparency, urging the AAIB to release details from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and clarify how the fuel cutoff occurred.
He also referred to reports of Tata Group, Air India’s owner, considering a Rs 500 crore ex gratia fund for families, providing at least Rs 1 crore per victim. “Families deserve to get details of that support urgently, as legal proceedings take time in India, England, and the United States,” he said.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has “expert status” in India’s investigation and is reviewing the preliminary findings. Families in the UK have also demanded expert representation in the India-led probe.
