Air India crash survivor is a British man who was sitting in seat 11A
Though hundreds of bodies have been pulled out from the wreckage of an Air India flight that crashed on Thursday (12 June) afternoon, at least one person was lucky enough to survive.
He is 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who reportedly walked away from the wreckage, according to the Hindustan Times (HT).
Source: Hindustan Times
Bodies pulled out from Air India plane after crash
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, which was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed just after take-off in Ahmedabad, Air India confirmed in a post on X.
Footage of the crash showed the plane dropping towards the ground and disappearing behind buildings, then bursting into flames.
Source: @clashreport on X
A police officer had earlier told the press that no passengers appeared to have survived, with media reports saying hundreds of bodies had been pulled out.
Air India crash survivor heard loud noise 30s after take-off
Incredibly, one man was seen walking from the wreckage.
Wearing a bloodied white T-shirt, Mr Vishwash strode with a limp as he was ushered towards an ambulance.
Source: @RT_com on X
He told HT that he heard a loud noise 30 seconds after take-off and the plane crashed, saying:
It all happened so quickly.
When he came to, there were bodies and pieces of the plane all around him. Scared, he got up and ran.
Eventually, someone grabbed him and put him in an ambulance, still holding his boarding pass indicating that he sat in seat 11A.
Source: Hindustan Times
Air India crash survivor looking for brother
Mr Vishwash was sent to a hospital in Ahmedabad, suffering injuries to his chest, eyes and feet.
Though he had miraculously survived, he was thinking of his 45-year-old brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, with whom he was travelling.
The brothers were returning to the United Kingdom after visiting family in India, but Ajay was sitting in a different row.
Mr Vishwash asked HT to help him find his brother, whose whereabouts are unknown.
Plane crashed into medical college hostel
The plane had crashed into a hostel housing medical students, with a tall plume of black smoke rising over the city afterwards.
Source: @Turbinetraveler on X
Photos on X showed part of the plane embedded in the building.
Source: @Turbinetraveler on X
The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) Doctors Association, a national doctors’ body in India, said on X that the plane crashed into the hostel while students were having lunch.
Source: @FAIMA_INDIA_ on X
So far, 50 medical students have been hospitalised, with two or three in critical condition. The wife of a doctor was also found dead.
Additionally, four or five more students are missing, along with three or four doctors’ relatives.
Death toll reportedly more than 290 so far
As rescue operations continue, the death toll has been said to be more than 240 so far, reported Reuters.
This includes the 265 bodies brought to a hospital in Ahmedabad, which police said could comprise both passengers on the plane as well as fatalities on the ground.
According to Air India, among the 230 passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals.
That means, as it stands, no Singaporean passengers were on board.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he was “deeply saddened” by the crash and extended his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. He added that Singapore stands in solidarity with India and all those affected, including citizens of other countries.
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Featured image adapted from @RT_com on X and @FAIMA_INDIA_ on X.
