In an extraordinary turn of events, a survivor has been found in the wreckage of Air India flight AI171, hours after the Ahmedabad plane crash was declared to have no survivors. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik confirmed the news, calling it a “miracle” amid the devastation.
The London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people, crashed minutes after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft had reached around 825 feet before suddenly losing altitude. A mayday call was issued, followed by a massive explosion in the sky and a towering plume of black smoke visible from miles away.
Survivor Identified as UK-Bound British-Indian Passenger
The sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was reportedly seated in 11A. In a video circulating on social media, he is seen walking with a limp, wearing a white T-shirt and dark trousers, stained with blood and soot. Despite the horrific crash, his clothes are only slightly smudged, though he appears to have sustained a leg injury.
ALSO READ: Air India pilot made ‘Mayday’ call to Ahmedabad ATC and then went silent: DGCA
“The police found one survivor in seat 11A,” Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik was quoted as saying. “One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area,” he added.
Reports indicate that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national, was returning to the UK after a visit to India. He was accompanied by his brother, whom he is now trying to locate.
The crash site, located in a residential area near Meghaninagar, is under heavy rescue and recovery operations. The full casualty count is yet to be confirmed.
This rare survival story brings a moment of hope amidst the devastating tragedy, even as families await news of their loved ones from the ill-fated AI171 flight.
