In a remarkable turn of events, a 40-year-old British-Indian man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, has been identified as the sole known survivor of the devastating Air India plane crash that occurred on Monday shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
The crash of Flight AI171, a London-bound Boeing 787, claimed the lives of nearly all 242 people onboard, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control just seconds after take-off and crashed into a densely populated medical housing complex, killing several people on the ground as well.
Initially, authorities reported around 40 deaths. However, as rescue efforts progressed, the figure was later revised to over 200 confirmed fatalities. Amid the carnage, emergency workers were stunned to find Ramesh alive.
Ramesh, who resides in London and was returning home after visiting family in Ahmedabad, recounted his harrowing experience in an interview with Hindustan Times from his hospital bed, where he is being treated for bruises on his chest, eyes, and feet.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” he said. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
The crash site — a residential compound housing medical professionals and students — was engulfed in flames shortly after impact. The aircraft’s fuel ignited a fireball that destroyed several buildings, injuring dozens of residents and causing widespread structural damage.
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Ramesh’s survival is being described by both medical personnel and authorities as “nothing short of miraculous.” Doctors say he is stable and recovering, though deeply traumatized.
Air India confirmed that the flight carried passengers of multiple nationalities, including 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. Many of the bodies remain unidentified due to the intensity of the blaze.
Investigators from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), along with international experts and representatives from Boeing, are working to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft’s black boxes have been recovered and are being analyzed for flight data and cockpit voice recordings.
Officials remain cautious about drawing conclusions but have not ruled out mechanical failure, engine malfunction, or other technical causes.
The final moments of the flight, according to Flightradar24, showed the plane’s last signal at a dangerously low altitude of 625 feet (190 meters).
The crash has triggered mourning across India and abroad. Messages of condolence have poured in from world leaders, including British monarch King Charles III, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.