As British passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh tells the story of his miraculous survival amid the Air India Flight 171, it has emerged that families who lost loved ones in the crash will be offered £86,000
Families who have lost loved ones in the Air India Flight 171 catastrophe will be offered £86,000, as pledged by Air India owners the Tata Group.
Taking to the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, Tata chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed financial compensation would be given, while the medical expenses of those injured in the disaster would also be taken care of.
Mr Chandrasekaran wrote: “We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171. “No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured.
“Tata Group will provide ₹1 crore [£86,000] to the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy. We will also cover the medical expenses of those injured and ensure that they receive all necessary care and support.”
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which had been bound for London’s Gatwick Airport, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members when it crashed minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Right before losing signal, the aircraft sent a “mayday” message to colleagues on the ground, alerting them to an emergency situation.
The Dreamliner crashed directly into a dining room at B J Medical College, in a residential area of Ahmedabad, western India, while medical students were sitting down for their lunch.
More than 200 bodies have been recovered from the site of the crash, and police initially warned that they did not expect to find survivors from the plane.
However, in a turn of events deemed miraculous by some, it’s believed Air India passenger Vishwash Kumar Ramesh managed to escape the horror ordeal, surviving with “impact injuries” on his chest, eyes and feet.
The 40-year-old British man claims to have been sitting in seat 11A of the aircraft when at take-off, and has recalled hearing “a loud noise” before tragedy struck. He still has hold of his boarding pass.
Vishwash, who has lived in London for 20 years, remembered: “It all happened so quickly.” He’d been in India for a few days to visit family and had been returning to the UK with his 45-year-old brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh.
Speaking from the general ward of the Civil Hospital, Asarwa, in Ahmedabad, Vishwash 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.”
Explaining that his brother had been seated in a different row, he added: “We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation into the Ahmedabad plane crash.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said: “The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch has formally offered its assistance to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, India.
“In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation. This is in accordance with ICAO Annexe 13 because UK citizens were on board the aircraft.
“We are deploying a multidisciplinary investigation team to India to support the Indian-led investigation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic accident.”
It was previously reported that Gatwick Airport is setting up a reception centre for those whose loved ones were on board the doomed flight.
Those with concerns about friends or family, as well as those who require assistance in India following today’s crash, have been urged to get in touch with the Foreign Office.
According to a full statement on the Gov.uk website: “We are aware of a plane crash in Ahmedabad. The UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support to those involved.
“If you need help from the British government, or have concerns for friends or family, call: +91 (11) 2419 2100 (in India) or +44 (0) 20 7008 5000 (in the UK).”
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