BRITISH families awaiting the remains of relatives who were on board the London-bound Air India Flight 171, which crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, are expecting confirmation on DNA matches following high-level government talks between India and the UK, their legal team has said.
Keystone Law, which has been working with aviation experts to assist many of the bereaved families following the June 12 crash, has this week called for urgency in the process.
During Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK last week, Downing Street confirmed that prime minister Keir Starmer raised the Air India tragedy during bilateral discussions, following UK media reports of alleged mislabelling of some remains repatriated to Britain.
“The UK and Indian governments have held high-level talks, as a result of the international media coverage of this problem,” said James Healy-Pratt, Aviation Partner at Keystone Law.
“It is believed that some matched DNA remains may now have been located in India. Confirmation is awaited.”
A total of 241 passengers and crew died in the disaster, including 52 British nationals. Of the 12 caskets that have been repatriated to the UK so far, two were found to be incorrectly identified.
India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) responded to the reports, stating that “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,” an MEA spokesperson said last month.
When asked to assess the scale of the problem, Keystone Law said that in a sample of 12 repatriated caskets, two were mislabelled, mishandled and misidentified.
“Extrapolated out – with an unacceptable error rate of 15 per cent – that would suggest around 40 sets of remains may have been mislabelled, mishandled, or misidentified. That is a known unknown, and many of the families’ loved ones have already been cremated,” said Healy-Pratt.
Last month, an inquest into the deaths of several British passengers was opened and adjourned in London. Under UK procedure, the identification process is being overseen by the Senior Coroner.
Meanwhile, a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that fuel supply to both engines appeared to have been cut off shortly after take-off. Though the engines attempted to restart, it was too late to prevent the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from crashing into B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, killing 19 people on the ground.
Keystone Law has also called for more clarity on the transition of fuel cut-off switches, as well as a clearer explanation of the voices heard in the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
“The Indian AAIB has this evidence, and for unexplained reasons has not shared these details with the families of AI 171,” said Healy-Pratt.
“The Indian AAIB cannot complain about speculation when the evidence in its possession is not shared transparently with the families.”
The aviation lawyer also urged transparency regarding reported plans for compensation being considered by the Tata Group, the owners of Air India.
“There is talk of TATA setting up a £47 million fund for the AI 171 families – which would provide ex gratia support (legally a gift and separate from any court-ordered compensation against Air India or Boeing) of at least Rs 10 million (£94,000) per victim,” he said.
“Families deserve to receive details of this support urgently, especially as legal proceedings take time in India, England, and the United States.”
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) holds "expert status" in the Indian safety investigation and has confirmed it is reviewing the findings of the preliminary report, which was released one month after the crash, on July 12.
The UK-based families have previously called for expert representation in the India-led investigation, to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the inquiry process.
(PTI)
