Latest news with #JamesHealy-Pratt
Observer
4 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
2 UK families received ‘wrong remains' of Air India crash victims
LONDON — The families of two British citizens who died in a plane crash in India last month were sent the remains of other people, according to a lawyer representing the families. In one case, DNA samples taken from a casket found 'commingling' of genetic material from more than one victim of the crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, India, said the lawyer, James Healy-Pratt. In the other case, a DNA sample taken from the casket did not match that of the victim, he said. Both families who were sent the 'wrong remains' had to delay funeral plans because of the errors, said Healy-Pratt, who is representing more than 20 British families who lost loved ones in the June 12 crash that killed 260 people. 'This has added an indescribable psychological distress to families who are already going through the trauma of losing a loved one,' he said. Healy-Pratt did not identify the families who had received the mismatched remains. News of the errors, which were earlier reported by Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India began a two-day state visit to London on Wednesday. Modi was expected to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain to sign a trade agreement. In response to the report, a spokesperson for India's ministry of external affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said in a statement Wednesday that the Indian authorities had adhered to 'established protocols and technical requirements' when identifying the victims, and that the Indian government was working with British authorities to address the matter. 'All mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased,' Jaiswal said. The two British citizens were among 53 Britons who died when the Air India plane crashed into a medical college seconds after takeoff in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad. The investigation of the crash is ongoing, but a preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found that the Boeing 787-8 jet's fuel switches had changed position. The errors with the remains were discovered by the coroner for Inner West London who conducted DNA testing after the remains were repatriated to verify that they matched that of family members, Healy-Pratt said. The coroner, Dr. Fiona Wilcox, did not return a request for comment. The remains of 12 British victims have been repatriated so far, Healy-Pratt said, adding that the remains of the other 10 victims had been accurately identified. While Britain sent forensic specialists to advise British families in India after the crash, the process of DNA identification and the placement of remains in the caskets was handled by the Indian authorities, a spokesperson for Britain's National Police Chiefs' Council said in an email. In the days after the crash, family members of the British victims traveled to India to provide DNA samples, and had been assured by the Indian authorities that the remains would be properly handled, Healy-Pratt said. 'It's appalling that the families have to go through this,' he said. 'You lose a loved one on the 12th of June, and within a matter of weeks you virtually lost them again.' This article originally appeared in
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Irish Independent
Remains of some British victims of Air India crash ‘wrongly identified', says lawyer
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, killing 241 people on board. Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, whose firm Keystone Law is representing more than 20 British families who lost loved ones in the disaster, said relatives of one victim found out a casket contained 'co-mingled' remains, while a different family were told a coffin contained the body of someone else entirely. Mr Healy-Pratt said the mistakes emerged after the 'sterling efforts' of senior coroner for inner west London, Dr Fiona Wilcox, who 'picked up DNA anomalies'. 'In the first two caskets that were repatriated, in one of the caskets, there was co-mingling of DNA which did not relate to the deceased in that casket or the casket that accompanied it and so that's what alerted her and her team to the fact there was a serious problem,' he told the PA news agency. One particular loved one was not at all who the family thought they were 'My understanding was that the co-mingling was at the very beginning, which alerted Dr Wilcox to the fact that she had to be 100pc assiduous about checking the identification of the incoming remains. 'She was then able to determine that one particular loved one was not at all who the family thought they were.' The family of three British victims who were buried in India after the crash said there was a 'clear lack of transparency and accountability'. Relatives of Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa said in a statement: 'Recent developments have only confirmed what many feared: that serious mistakes may have been made, and that the dignity and rights of victims and their families were not safeguarded as they should have been. 'In our case, we are confident that we received the correct bodies, based on the hospital's assurances, autopsy reports, their clothing and the personal belongings we recovered. We are deeply troubled by what this means for other families 'But our concern now is not limited to ourselves. We are deeply troubled by what this means for other families who may still be searching for certainty and closure. This isn't just a personal tragedy; it is a collective one.' Mr Healy-Pratt added: 'Somebody has to take responsibility in India for this massive screw-up and then they actually have to ensure that they can give proper assurances to the families that the job has been completed and done properly.' His firm has demanded a written explanation from Air India, including on the involvement of its contractors Kenyon International Emergency Services. PA has approached Air India's parent company, the Tata Group, and Kenyon Emergency Services for comment. A spokesperson for the UK government said: 'We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them. 'Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities.'
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Families received wrong remains of Air India crash victims
Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the open ground, outside Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, where it took off and crashed nearby shortly afterwards, in Ahmedabad, India July 12, 2025. Photo: Reuters/ File Relatives of a British victim killed in last month's Air India crash received a casket that contained mixed remains, a lawyer representing several families and UK media said Wednesday. The family of a separate victim received the remains of another person, according to James Healy-Pratt, who is representing 20 British families who lost loved ones in the disaster. A total of 241 people on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner died when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities. Several people on the ground also died while only one passenger, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash. Healy-Pratt told the Press Association news agency that the return of victims' remains had been marred by serious errors, which had been identified following a probe by a British coroner. "In the first two caskets that were repatriated, in one of the caskets, there was co-mingling of DNA which did not relate to the deceased in that casket or the casket that accompanied it," he said.
9 News
6 days ago
- 9 News
Some Air India victims' families were sent wrong remains, lawyer says
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here At least two UK nationals were discovered to have been misidentified after they were repatriated, according to James Healy-Pratt, an international aviation lawyer who is representing some of the British relatives of victims. In one case, a coroner in London discovered that the DNA of several bodies had been co-mingled in one of the caskets, Healy-Pratt told UK news agency PA Media. First responders at the crash site scenes in Ahmedabad, Gujarat following the Air India plane crash in June. (X/ Central Industrial Security Force, MHA ) Dr Fiona Shaw "picked up DNA anomalies" when the bodies were first repatriated, Healy-Pratt said. "My understanding was that the co-mingling was at the very beginning, which alerted Dr Wilcox to the fact that she had to be 100 per cent assiduous about checking the identification of the incoming remains," the lawyer added. "She was then able to determine that one particular loved one was not at all who the family thought they were," said Healy-Pratt. All but one of 242 passengers and crew members were killed on June 12, after an Air India jet lost momentum and hurtled into a densely populated neighborhood in Ahmedabad, western India. The London-bound aircraft had barely left the runway of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport before it spun out of control and nosedived into the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel – also killing 19 people on the ground. The debris of an airplane sticks out of a building after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Authorities have not yet released the definitive cause of the crash, but a preliminary report suggested that the fuel control switches in the cockpit of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner had been flipped, depriving the engines of power. In an audio recording from the black box, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he flipped the switches, according to the assessment by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau published last week. The other pilot responds that he did not. Moments later, the switches were flipped to turn the fuel supply back on. Both engines relit and one began to "progress to recovery," but it was too late to halt the plane's tumultuous descent. Of those killed on board, at least 169 were Indian nationals, seven were Portuguese and one was from Canada. At least two UK nationals were discovered to have been misidentified after they were repatriated. (X/ Central Industrial Security Force, MHA ) The relatives of three victims said they were "deeply troubled" by the revelations yesterday, calling on authorities to act with "care, co-ordination and respect." "Recent developments have only confirmed what many feared: that serious mistakes may have been made, and that the dignity and rights of victims and their families were not safeguarded as they should have been," they said in a statement. The relatives of Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa added that while they are "confident" they received the "correct bodies" - they were still "deeply troubled by what this means for other families who may still be searching for certainty and closure." "This isn't just a personal tragedy; it is a collective one." India's foreign ministry had been "working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns and issues" were raised, according to a spokesperson. Authorities conducted identification of victims using "established protocols and technical requirements," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X on Wednesday. "All mortal remains were handled with the utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased," Jaiswal added. "We are continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue." The case came on the heels of a meeting in London between India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, as the two nations sign a landmark free trade agreement. Healy-Pratt, who is demanding "financial justice" for the families, said he believes the allegations will be on the agenda for the talks this week. World Plane Crash aircraft India news United Kingdom CONTACT US
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Families received wrong remains of Air India crash victims
Relatives carry the coffin of a victim of the Air India flight crash during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad. Photo / Basit Zargar, AFP Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Relatives carry the coffin of a victim of the Air India flight crash during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad. Photo / Basit Zargar, AFP Relatives of a British victim killed in last month's Air India crash received a casket that contained mixed remains, a lawyer representing several families and UK media has said. The family of a separate victim received the remains of another person, according to James Healy-Pratt, who is representing 20 British families who lost loved ones in the disaster. A total of 241 people on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner died when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed, making it one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British fatalities. Several people on the ground also died while only one passenger, British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived the crash.
