On June 12, 2025, the aviation world was rocked by one of India’s deadliest air disasters when Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India. The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members on board, alongside at least 29 people on the ground, as the plane plummeted into a medical college hostel in the densely populated Meghaninagar neighborhood. Only one passenger, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, miraculously survived. As families grappled with unimaginable loss, a secondary tragedy unfolded: reports of misidentified remains sent to grieving families in the United Kingdom, compounding their sorrow with bureaucratic errors and emotional turmoil.

The Crash: A Catastrophe Unfolds

The ill-fated flight took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, carrying 242 passengers and crew, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Among them were families returning from holidays, students, and professionals, their lives intertwined in a shared journey that ended in catastrophe. Within seconds of takeoff, the plane experienced a critical failure. A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released on July 12, 2025, revealed that the fuel switches for both engines were moved to the “cut-off” position, halting fuel supply just as the aircraft reached an airspeed of 180 knots. Cockpit voice recordings captured a chilling exchange: one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other responded, “I did not do so.” Seconds later, despite attempts to relight the engines, the plane crashed into a six-story building, erupting into flames fueled by 125,000 liters of jet fuel intended for the 10-hour flight.

The crash site was a scene of devastation. The plane’s impact demolished parts of the medical college hostel, killing students, staff, and bystanders, including a 15-year-old boy delivering lunch and a grandmother with her two-year-old granddaughter. The intensity of the fire left most bodies charred beyond recognition, complicating identification efforts. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, seated in 11A near an emergency exit, escaped through a broken fuselage, sustaining injuries but surviving against all odds. His brother, Ajay, seated in a different row, was not so fortunate. Ramesh’s story of survival, while miraculous, was bittersweet as he mourned his brother’s loss while recovering in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

The Aftermath: A Race Against Time

As rescue teams sifted through the wreckage, families gathered at the hospital, desperate for news. The scale of the disaster overwhelmed local authorities. The bodies, many mutilated or incinerated, required DNA testing for identification, a process that typically takes 72 hours but was expedited due to public outcry. By June 15, only 32 victims had been identified through DNA mapping, and families expressed frustration at the slow pace. Rajneesh Patel, an official at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, described the task as “massive,” with hundreds of DNA samples needing comparison.

The crash claimed diverse lives: a radiologist and his family from Derby, a couple running a spiritual wellness center in London, a single mother returning to her nursing job in the UK, and a young man who had won a visa lottery. On the ground, victims included Sarla Ben Thakur and her two-year-old granddaughter, Adhya, who were in the hostel kitchen when the plane struck. The emotional toll was palpable, with families like that of Anil Ambalal Patel, who lost his son Harshit and daughter-in-law Pooja, waiting days for closure.

A Second Tragedy: Misidentified Remains

As if the loss of loved ones wasn’t enough, reports emerged in late July 2025 of a grievous error: some families in the UK received the wrong remains. The mix-ups, first reported on July 23, involved at least two families, with one case alleging that a coffin contained the remains of multiple individuals. The errors were discovered during DNA verification by the London coroner, prompting outrage and further heartbreak.

Miten Patel, whose parents Ashok and Shobhana Patel were among the first victims returned to the UK, spoke of the distress caused by receiving the wrong body. “It’s obviously very upsetting,” he told the BBC. “People were tired, and there was a lot of pressure. But there has to be a level of responsibility that you’re sending the right bodies to the UK.” He questioned whether other remains might be commingled in his mother’s casket, a fear echoed by other families. Another case reportedly involved a family receiving an entirely incorrect body, forcing them to abandon funeral plans.

India’s foreign ministry responded, asserting that “all mortal remains were handled with utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased.” They claimed to be working closely with UK authorities to address concerns, emphasizing that identification followed established protocols. However, a lawyer representing affected families argued that the errors were “serious issues” that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should raise with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The lack of transparency and coordination fueled distrust, with families like that of Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee, and their four-year-old daughter Sara, feeling “utterly abandoned” by both UK and Indian authorities.

The Investigation: Questions Without Answers

The preliminary AAIB report deepened the mystery rather than providing clarity. The fuel switches’ transition to the cut-off position was a critical factor, but whether it was deliberate, accidental, or due to a technical fault remains unclear. The report noted a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration bulletin about potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on Boeing 787s, but Air India had not conducted related inspections, as it was not deemed an unsafe condition. The black box, recovered from a rooftop near the crash site, is expected to provide further clues, but a final report is not due for another year.

Families, such as Shweta Parihar, whose husband Abhinav was on the flight, expressed frustration at the lack of closure. “What will they do in the investigation, tell us how it happened?” she lamented. “For those of us that have lost loved ones, they are not coming back.” The report’s vagueness led relatives of victims like sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi to demand “honesty, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to uncovering the full truth.”

The Indian government, under pressure, formed a high-level committee to examine the crash’s causes, while Air India grounded 66 Boeing 787 flights for “extended precautionary checks.” The airline, owned by the Tata Group, pledged over $100,000 to each victim’s family and offered to cover medical costs for the injured. However, these measures did little to assuage the pain of families dealing with both loss and bureaucratic failures.

A Community in Mourning

The crash’s ripple effects were felt across communities in India and the UK. In Gujarat, where many victims had ties, funerals were held in towns like Diu and Mumbai. Vishwashkumar Ramesh, discharged from the hospital, carried his brother Ajay’s coffin in a rain-soaked procession, a poignant image of survival tinged with grief. In London, prayer services at temples like the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury honored the deceased, with candles lit in the shape of the number 270, reflecting the total death toll.

The stories of the victims underscored the human cost. The Joshi family, devotees of the Derby Hindu Temple, left behind a “profound void.” Akeel Nanabawa and Hannaa Vorajee, described as “widely loved and deeply respected,” left their community in Gloucester reeling. Irfan, a 22-year-old cabin crew member, was identified by his father through his recognizable face, while Syed Nafisa Bano was identified only by a gold pendant. These personal losses, coupled with the indignity of misidentification, deepened the trauma for many.

Systemic Failures and Calls for Accountability

The body mix-ups highlighted systemic issues in the identification process. The high temperatures from the crash’s inferno made visual identification nearly impossible, relying heavily on DNA testing. Yet, under pressure to release bodies quickly, errors occurred. Families criticized the lack of coordination between Indian and UK authorities, with some, like Hamzah Nanabawa, pleading for more proactive support. “No one from the UK has reached out to us,” he said, highlighting the absence of structure for grieving families.

Aviation safety concerns also came under scrutiny. Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety consultant, pointed to violations in India’s airport safety standards, noting that the medical college building’s proximity to the runway—less than 300 meters—may have contributed to the disaster’s severity. He warned that other Indian cities, like Mumbai, face similar risks due to densely populated areas near airports.

Moving Forward: A Search for Justice

As investigations continue, families are left with unanswered questions and a sense of betrayal. The mix-up of remains, described as a “heartbreaking blunder” on X, has fueled calls for accountability. Posts on X reflected public outrage, with users decrying the “cruel incompetence” of authorities and demanding answers. The UK government, while offering consular support, deferred formal identification matters to Indian authorities, leaving families like Miten Patel’s to navigate their grief alone.

The Air India crash of June 12, 2025, will be remembered not only for its staggering loss of life but for the secondary tragedy of mishandled remains, which added insult to injury for grieving families. As they await the final investigation report, their demand for transparency and dignity remains a powerful call to action. For now, they mourn, holding onto memories of loved ones while grappling with a system that failed them in their darkest hour.