Relatives of the victims of last year’s Air India flight disaster have spent over twelve months in a struggle to identify the remains of their loved ones, as forensic efforts have faltered. The incident, which claimed 158 lives, has left families without closure. Now, a team of UK forensic experts has offered assistance to expedite the process.
The crash, which occurred in the Arabian Sea, saw retrieval of fragmented remains that have proven difficult to match. Local authorities have been criticised for delays and lack of transparency. The offer from the British team, specialists in disaster victim identification, has been accepted in principle, but bureaucratic hurdles remain.
A spokesperson for the families stated: “We have waited too long. Every day without identification is a day of torture.” The UK experts are expected to arrive within weeks, pending final approvals. Their methodologies, honed in incidents such as the London bombings, could provide a breakthrough.
Analysts note that the protracted identification process has strained India’s forensic capacity and raised questions about preparedness for mass casualty events. The assistance may also serve to strengthen UK-India cooperation on civil aviation safety.
