The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday responded to British media reports claiming that some families of the victims had received mortal remains of unknown persons.
In a statement, the MEA said, "We have seen the report and have been working closely with the UK side from the moment these concerns were brought to our attention."
The MEA clarified that the concerned authorities had carried out the identification of victims in accordance with established protocols and technical requirements.
"All mortal remains were handled with the utmost professionalism and with due regard for the dignity of the deceased. We are continuing to work with the UK authorities to address any concerns related to this issue," the statement added.
The government’s response follows a report by the UK’s Daily Mail, which claimed that the repatriation process for some of the British victims of the Air India crash on 12 June this year had been mishandled, with families receiving mortal remains of unknown individuals.
According to the report, due to the mix-up, relatives of one victim abandoned the funeral.
It further alleged that, in another case, the remains of two victims had been placed in the same coffin.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is likely to raise the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who earlier today departed for the UK.
