A catastrophic Air India plane crash in the north-western Indian city of Ahmedabad has left 241 people dead, with only one survivor — a British national — pulled from the burning wreckage.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people including 53 British nationals, plummeted into the Meghani Nagar residential area shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38pm local time (09:08 BST) on Thursday. The aircraft exploded into a fireball upon impact, crashing into the premises of a nearby medical college.
Initial reports indicated no survivors, but local authorities later confirmed that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, miraculously survived. He was seated in 11A when the aircraft crashed just seconds into its ascent.
“Thirty seconds after takeoff there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Ramesh told The Hindustan Times from his hospital bed in Asarwa Civil Hospital, where he is recovering from multiple injuries.
A long-time UK resident originally from India, Ramesh was returning to the UK after visiting family. He believes one of his brothers was also on the doomed flight. “I have no idea how I exited the plane,” he reportedly told relatives.
Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his younger brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, expressed both shock and sorrow. “We were just shocked as soon as we heard it. I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We’re devastated, just devastated,” he said.
Another family member added: “He’s doing well, I think. It’s a big shock. I don’t have many words to describe the incident.”
Emergency response teams spent hours battling the inferno as thick plumes of smoke rose above the densely populated neighborhood. The remains of the victims are being identified, and consular support is being offered to families by both Indian and British officials.
Indian aviation authorities and Boeing representatives are expected to launch a formal investigation. Preliminary findings suggest a technical malfunction may have played a role, but no official cause has yet been released. The aircraft’s black box is being recovered.
The crash marks one of India’s deadliest air disasters in recent memory. Tributes and condolences poured in from across the globe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “a national tragedy,” while UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed deep sorrow and pledged full support to affected families.
As investigations continue and families mourn, the survival of a single passenger remains the only glimmer of hope in a day marked by immense loss.
