Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 12: The 40-year old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, may be the sole survivor in the Air India Flight AI171 Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew members which crashed soon after taking-off for London from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon.
The sole survivor who seems to have a miraculous escape was travelling on seat 11A in the ill-fated aircraft and is currently undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital, Asarwa, according to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was returning to London after visiting his close family relations in Gujarat, recalled the horror from his hospital bed. “There were bodies all around me, there were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance,” he told media persons. He suffered “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes and feet, doctors said.
Mr Malik, who had earlier said that any survival was unlikely, confirmed the rescue of Mr Ramesh. “The police found one survivor in seat 11A. He is under treatment. We can’t confirm the final death toll yet, as the crash occurred in a residential area and that number may rise,” he said.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was travelling with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, whose fate remains unknown. Recounting the terrifying seconds after take-off, Mr Ramesh said, “Within 30 seconds, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.”
Vishwash, a British national, was in India for a few days to visit his family and was going back to the UK along with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh (45). Vishwash, who still had his boarding pass, 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.”
Vishwash said he had lived in London for 20 years, adding that his wife and child too live in London. He said that his brother Ajay was seated in a different row on the plane. “We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.
Elsewhere in the hospital, family and friends of passengers on board the Air India plane looked for their kin. Among them were family members of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who also was on that flight. Sailesh Mandliya, who earlier assisted Rupani, was at the hospital looking for the former chief minister.
“We are looking for him. If you find out something, let me know,” Mandliya said.
The jet, fully fuelled for its long-haul flight, struck a doctors’ hostel belonging to a nearby medical college, tragically killing residents and engulfing the site in a massive fireball. Emergency teams raced to the scene amid thick plumes of smoke and more than 50 injured individuals are now receiving treatment in hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as “heart-breaking beyond words,” confirming that rescue and relief efforts were already in motion. He said he’s been in close contact with civil aviation and emergency authorities, adding, “In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it.” PM Modi also pledged full government support for the victims’ families, calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
