In a shocking development following the tr@gic accident of Air India Flight AI171, one person has been discovered alive among the debris.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick with 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff.
Aircraft AI171 left Ahmedabad’s Sardar Valabhbhai Patel International Airport at 10:08 AM local time.
In less than a minute the transponder signal disappeared at 625 feet over the ground. The plane crashed into a structure that was used to house doctors.
As per Air India, the plane had 169 Indian nationals as well as 53 British citizens as well as one Canadian and seven Portuguese passengers. The 242 passengers onboard included 217 adults and 11 kids according to Reuters.
The aircraft’s crash caused a vast field of wreckage, and the smoke of black which hung above the town.
Ahmedabad police commissioner GS Malik confirmed the shocking incident in a statement to India Today: The police discovered one person who survived at the seat of 11A. One survivor was found in the hospital and is receiving treatment. It is not possible to determine the number of people killed as of yet. The death toll could increase due to the crash in an area of residential.
The survivor of the crash The survivor is British driver Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. He lives in London for more than 20 years. The footage shows him escaping the flames just seconds following the crash.
In an interview with The Hindustan Times, Ramesh recalled the terror: Thirty seconds after taking off there was an alarming sound, and then it crashed into the ground. It happened so quickly the pilot said.
As I awoke I saw people all around me. I was terrified. I got in the air and ran. There were fragments of the plane scattered around me. Someone grabbed me and threw me into an ambulance. The ambulance took me into the medical facility.
Ramesh was injured in an accident to his eyes, chest and feet, but is in good health.
Global leaders have responded quickly as well as emotionally in the wake of tragic event.
Indian PM Narendra Modi wrote on X the tragedy that occurred in Ahmedabad has shocked and shook us to our core. It’s beyond words. In this time of sorrow my prayers are with all those who is affected. I’ve been in touch with officials and ministers who are trying to help those who are affected.
UK Premier Minister Keir Starmer also expressed his sadness: The footages that emerged of a plane bound for London that was carrying a number of British nationals colliding within Ahmedabad, Indian city Ahmedabad are a tragedy. I am kept informed as the situation unfolds as well as my prayers are for the victims and their families during this time of great sorrow.
According to sources, King Charles is also updated on the situation.
As the investigation begins and families wait for the news, the story of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh provides an ounce of optimism amid the devastation.