EXCLUSIVE: UK mortuary staff 'at risk of death from chemicals' when they opened coffins repatriated from Air India crash

MORTUARY staff were put at risk of cyanide poisoning when they received bodies from the Air India Boeing 787 crash in June, it has emerged.

There were 241 people on the aircraft who died and at least 19 on the ground when the aircraft crashed just 32 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport to London Gatwick at 1:39pm on June 12 this year.

Several of the bodies of British citizens killed in the tragedy were repatriated to Westminster Public Mortuary after being wrapped and saturated in high concentrations of around 40 percent formalin as a preservative and returned in lined coffins.

No inquests have yet been held in the UK in respect of any of the victims, however, Professor Fiona Wilcox, HM Senior Coroner for Inner West London today<December22025>published a Prevention of Future Deaths Report about the incident, urgi for preventative measures, due to the risks posed to staff.

She wrote: "This report is based upon my duty under Regulation 28 being engaged in respect of the hazard presented to all mortuary  users from the method in which bodies of deceased persons being repatriated to the UK were preserved and returned.

"Following the incident a number of deceased persons were repatriated to Westminster Public Mortuary. The remains of these  deceased persons were wrapped and saturated in high concentrations of formalin (apparently 40 percent) as a preservative and  returned in lined coffins.

"On opening the coffins, it was apparent that there was a significant chemical hazard from the formalin to all users of the mortuary.

"Expert evidence was sought from Police CBRN, the EPA, the pathologist etc and appropriate systems were put in place to mitigate the risk including the use of environmental monitoring, breathing apparatus and other appropriate equipment.

"It became apparent that many of the mortuary users appeared unaware and were surprised by the nature of the danger from the formalin, which is commonly used to preserve human remains and especially when bodies of deceased persons are repatriated from abroad. It is apparently not usual for environmental monitoring to be routinely available in either public or hospital mortuaries."

Experts later warned of the danger of formalin as it contains formaldehyde, which can cause severe respiratory irritation, and is a volatile substance which means that it disperses into the atmosphere.

It is also carcinogenic and known to cause acute myeloid leukaemia, with other toxic effects, including metabolic acidosis, bronchospasm, pulmonary oedema and death.

With heat and light exposure it breaks down releasing carbon monoxide which is highly toxic.

If it mixes with a source of ammonia, commonly seen with decomposition, deadly cyanide can also be released.

The report added: "Levels of formalin were found to be dangerously high, and carbon monoxide and cyanide were also detected in the mortuary at dangerous levels following opening of the coffins and unwrapping of the bodies of the deceased persons who had been repatriated.

"There is an under-appreciation across mortuaries of the dangers posed by formalin to the health of all mortuary users."

She said mortuaries frequently receive bodies preserved in formalin, but that it is not routinely monitored in mortuaries.

She added: "As such appropriate equipment may not be available nor used when mortuaries handle bodies significantly contaminated with formalin, thus exposing users of mortuaries to health risks including risk of death.

"In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action."

Her report has been sent to the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Health and Social Care, which both have 56 days to respond.

A Government spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the families of all those who died in this tragic crash.

“This is a deeply shocking case. We respond to, and learn from, all prevention of future death reports and will consider this fully before formally responding.”

It comes after in July it emerged grieving British families of the crash victims received the wrong bodies to bury as part of the bungled repatriation scheme.

A lawyer acting for the bereaved said that the remains of several victims had been wrongly identified, with one family forced to abandon funeral plans after allegedly being told the coffin contained a different, unidentified body.

Only one passenger Viswash Kumar Ramesh survived when the flight lost power and crashed into a building.