New Delhi: Distraught families of Air India Flight AI-171 crash victims have alleged that they received the wrong mortal remains after the tragedy. Reports emerging from the UK indicate that in at least two cases, the remains returned were not those of the deceased as identified by their families, triggering anguish and confusion.

One bereaved British family was reportedly forced to call off their loved one's funeral after discovering that the body inside the coffin belonged to an unidentified passenger. In another case, remains of more than one individual were allegedly found commingled in a single coffin, requiring forensic sorting before rites could proceed.

Air India AI-171 crashed on 12 June 2025 en route from Ahmedabad to London. Of the 261 passengers onboard, 52 were British citizens. Now, the revelation that the remains of at least two victims may have been misidentified or mixed is raising further concerns among relatives still awaiting their loved ones.

The error came to light during standard procedures to match DNA of the deceased with the families. Dr Fiona Wilcox, a West London coroner, reportedly identified the discrepancy and alerted the authorities. Without her intervention, the mix-up might have remained undiscovered.

Speaking to the media, aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt confirmed that multiple families were deeply shaken. “Some of them have got the wrong remains, and they are clearly distraught over this,” he said. “It has been going on for a couple of weeks, and I think these families deserve an explanation.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the matter with Indian PM Narendra Modi during the latter’s state visit to the UK next week. The handling of victim remains could become a sensitive diplomatic issue if more such errors come to light.