Awful mistake sees Air India victims’ families receive wrong remains

WorldPolitics
23 Jul 2025 • 5:37 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • British families of victims from deadly Air India flight 171 say they have received wrongly identified bodies due to a bungled repatriation scheme.
  • A lawyer representing the bereaved said that some families were forced to abandon funeral plans after discovering the coffins contained different, unidentified remains.
  • In some instances, multiple victims' remains were reportedly placed into a single coffin, requiring separation before burial or cremation.
  • The misidentification came to light when Dr Fiona Wilcox, a senior coroner, attempted to verify identities using DNA matching with family samples.
  • Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to discuss these errors with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during the latter’s state visit to the UK.

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