New Delhi, July 23: The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday responded to allegations raised in a UK media report regarding misidentification of bodies repatriated after the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, affirming that all mortal remains were handled “with utmost professionalism and due regard for the dignity of the deceased.”
“In response to media queries regarding a report in the Daily Mail on the Air India crash, the Official Spokesperson, Shri Randhir Jaiswal, said: ‘We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues were brought to our attention. In the wake of the tragic crash, the concerned authorities had carried out identification of victims as per established protocols and technical requirements. All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased. We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue,’” the MEA said in a statement issued in New Delhi.
The comments come after the media reported that two British families alleged they had received the wrong bodies following the repatriation of remains from India. DNA testing reportedly indicated mismatches in at least two of the caskets sent to the UK after the crash of Air India flight AI171. According to lawyer James Healy, representing the affected families, 12 to 13 sets of remains were flown to the UK, with two families subsequently informed that the remains did not match their relatives based on DNA analysis, reports NDTV.
The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, slamming into a residential complex near BJ Medical College. Of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard, only one survived.
