Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, claims he was sitting in the seat 11A of the Gatwick-bound flight when it took off from Ahmedabad and miraculously managed to survive the crash
Brit believed to have survived Air India crash seen walking away
An Air India passenger is believed to have miraculously survived the tragic plane crash that killed hundreds of people today. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh claims he was in seat 11A of the Gatwick-bound flight when it took off from Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The British man, who said he suffered “impact injuries” on his chest, eyes and feet, explained around 30 seconds after take-off there was “a loud noise” before the plane crashed. The 40-year-old, who has lived in London for 20 years, said: “It all happened so quickly.” Vishwash, who still has his boarding pass, said he was in India for a few days to visit his family and was going back to the UK with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45.
Sharing details of the terrifying experience from the general ward of the Civil Hospital, Asarwa, in Ahmedabad, he told the Hindustan Times: “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 his brother 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. The Boeing 787 went down with more than 240 people aboard shortly after take-off, authorities said. It was the first fatal crash since the plane, also known as the Dreamliner, went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
In a statement earlier today, before the man spoke to the Hindustan Times, a police commissioner said there appeared to be no survivors from the crash. Ahmedabad police commissioner Gyanendra Singh Malik told the Associated Press that “some locals would also have died” when the plane fell on top of the dining area of B.J. Medical College.
Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the crash as a “tragic accident” and a “devastating event” and said emergency response teams are at the site. Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed his “deep sorrow” after the incident, adding: “This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.”
King Charles said he was “desperately shocked” by the incident and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated on the developing situation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the crash was “devastating”, while his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said it was “heartbreaking beyond words”.
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.