Families fight for their loved ones’ identity a year after the tragedy
In the early morning of 12 June 2025, an Air India flight squashed into the ground of Ahmedabad, India. The accident claimed 260 lives, including parents of Miten Patel. A year later, Miten is still in the trenches, trying to get his mother’s remains separated from an unidentified man and finally confirmed.
Miten arrived in Ahmedabad carrying his parents’ dental records. He recalled how he travelled on Air India because “no other flights were available” after the crash, and that he was grateful his parents had taught him Gujarati, which helped him navigate the chaos.
The first calls back to London came a week after the crash, when police asked Miten to meet them in person but refused to explain the reason. A CT scan of his mother’s casket revealed a mysterious second skeletal presence. Miten demanded that investigators separate the remains, but authorities told him to wait several weeks before revealing the details.
The unidentified individual remains unclaimed: an investigation has opened in the UK, while forensic scientists say the remains were mixed amid a wreckage that spanned 37,000 square metres—a site where bedrooms turned into medical hostels, and the heat turned bodies into burnt char.
Indian forensic experts and the National Disaster Management Authority concluded that about 90% of victims were carbonised, wiping out fingerprints and visual markers. The NDMA’s updated guidelines now recommend wider use of dental records and expansion of regional DNA labs to avoid bottlenecks that plague disaster victim identification.
In London, Coroner Fiona Wilcox said palm prints and DNA were sent back to India with no confirmation of the man’s identity as of the hearing. “The identity of the unidentified male remains outstanding. I hope that identification will be forthcoming,” she said, highlighting the unusual delay of nearly a year.
Miten’s path is a fight for accountability. He said, “I want them to say to me, Beta, we are so proud of you. You did everything you could after we went,” as he watches videos of his parents, hoping his battle pays tribute to those lost.
