Mix-up in repatriation of AI crash victims’ mortal remains; families abandon funeral ceremonies
London: There has been an alleged mix-up in the repatriation of the bodies of some of the British victims in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad in June, forcing the relatives to abandon the funeral ceremonies.
While some families in the UK received the mortal remains of unknown person, some others received mortal remains of two people placed in the same coffin, according to The Daily Mail.
The matter is known to have come to light after Inner West London coroner Dr. Fiona Wilcox asked for a verification of the identities of British victims by matching their DNA with samples provided by their families.
A high-level inquiry into the matter is currently underway, with the report stating that the UK Prime Minister is likely to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, who represents many British families, has said that the funeral rites of some victims have already been conducted in India. He added that the bodies of at least 12 victims have been repatriated.
He stressed on the desperation of the British families to get the mortal remains of their loved ones and that they are distraught by the fact that they received the remains of strangers. Healy-Pratt said that the process of repatriation was going on for a couple of weeks and opined that the families deserve an explanation regarding the mix-up.
The identification of the bodies was started immediately after the crash that claimed 275 lives, including that of 52 British citizens. The process carried out by local authorities and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) using sniffer dogs and other high-tech equipment. The bodies, however, were beyond recognition as the heat generated during the crash was as high as 1,500 degrees Celsius.
The report on the process said that the relatives of the victims were asked to provide their DNA samples, while in some of the severe cases, dental records were used for identification.
Notably, Indian authorities had stated that the DNA tests had confirmed the identities of all victims by June 28. The bodies were repatriated by Air India.
The London-bound Air India, AI 171, carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members, took off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12 and crashed just seconds later into the hostel of BJ Medical College campus. Over 275, including the people on the ground, were killed in the crash.
One passenger who survived the crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is a British national of Indian origin.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
