UK workers faced toxic threat from AI crash coffins, says report

British mortuary workers were exposed to what a coroner describes as a “significant chemical hazard” when they opened the coffins of victims from the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad, according to an official report now shared with The Tribune.

The document warns of “dangerously high” levels of formalin, carbon monoxide and cyanide inside Westminster Public Mortuary. Senior Coroner Professor Fiona J Wilcox records that the bodies repatriated from India had been “wrapped and saturated in high concentrations of formalin (apparently 40%)”. Once the coffins were opened, she writes, “It was apparent that there was a significant chemical hazard from the formalin to all users of the mortuary.”

The Air India aircraft crashed on June 12 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board, including 52 British nationals, and at least 19 people on the ground. Many of the bodies were repatriated to London for examination and release to families. Wilcox’s report reveals that the handling of some remains posed unanticipated risks for mortuary staff, prompting the involvement of police chemical specialists and the Environment Agency.

Her findings outline in detail why formalin becomes hazardous in confined conditions. Formalin contains formaldehyde, which “can cause severe respiratory irritation”, is a “volatile substance which means that it disperses into the atmosphere” and is “carcinogenic and known to cause acute myeloid leukaemia”.

Expert advice cited in her report adds that formalin has toxic effects, including “metabolic acidosis, bronchospasm, pulmonary oedema and death”. Wilcox notes that “with heat and light exposure, it breaks down releasing carbon monoxide, which is highly toxic”, and records that when mixed with ammonia from decomposition, “cyanide, which is also highly toxic, can be released”.

These dangers were not theoretical. According to Wilcox, “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”. Her report also highlights a lack of preparedness in UK mortuaries, stating that many workers were “unaware and were surprised by the nature of the danger from the formalin”.

She adds that “it is apparently not usual for environmental monitoring to be routinely available in either public or hospital mortuaries”.

Wilcox identifies an “under appreciation across mortuaries of the dangers posed by formalin”, notes that mortuaries “frequently receive bodies preserved in formalin”, and warns that without monitoring and correct protective equipment, staff face risks, “including of death”. She concludes that “action should be taken to prevent future deaths” and has formally notified the Secretaries of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and of Health and Social Care, who must respond within 56 days.

Although her report is dated September 10, 2025, it appears to have been circulated publicly only recently, a common delay because Regulation 28 notices must first be issued to government departments and other interested persons before publication.

The chemical-exposure incident follows earlier concerns, reported several weeks ago, about the handling and identification of some of the repatriated remains. Aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt of Keystone Law, who represents more than 20 British families, told the PA news agency that routine checks uncovered significant errors. In one case, a casket contained “co-mingled” remains; in another, a family was told a coffin “contained the body of someone else entirely”.

He said the problems were identified due to the “sterling efforts” of Wilcox, who “picked up DNA anomalies” early in the repatriation process.

The family of three British victims who were buried in India said the experience revealed a “clear lack of transparency and accountability” in how the identification and repatriation process had been handled, adding that the mishandling “speaks to a wider failure between the British and Indian authorities to act with care, co-ordination and respect”.

As families seek answers about repatriation, Air India is now also facing renewed scrutiny over its broader safety culture. In a separate development this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched an investigation after discovering that one of the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft flew commercial services despite lacking a valid airworthiness certificate.

According to news agency reports, the aircraft operated “eight flights” after its certificate had expired. Air India said the lapse was “regrettable” and confirmed that it had reported the issue and suspended the personnel involved, according to Channel NewsAsia.

The DGCA’s wider audits have previously flagged issues ranging from training gaps to simulator approvals. In July, Reuters reported that the regulator had identified 51 safety lapses across the airline’s operations. In response to heightened scrutiny following the June crash, Air India said it was conducting “one-time safety checks” on its Boeing 787 fleet, a process that has caused delays to some long-haul services.

Taken together, the chemical-hazard warnings from Wilcox, earlier misidentification of remains and ongoing regulatory action in India point to a series of failures spanning both the aftermath of the crash and the airline’s operational oversight. For families of the victims, the emerging picture is one in which basic safeguards--from identification to mortuary safety to airworthiness checks--were not maintained at moments when they mattered most. Air India has been approached for comment.