Emergency workers still can't believe one passenger survived Ahmedabad Air India crash
Ahmedabad: Until they cross-checked the visuals and the flight manifest,
emergency responders
of the
108 Ambulance service
could not believe that they had indeed rescued the sole survivor from the
Air India
plane that crashed in Ahmedabad Thursday.
Satinder Singh Sandhu, a 108 emergency management executive, said when they found Vishwas Kumar, the British national who survived the crash, was in confused state and wanted to walk back to the plane that was still in flames, saying he had family members travelling on the same flight. "I put him in an ambulance and sent him to hospital without knowing that he was the sole survivor of the crash," he told ET.
Sandhu said he was having lunch at his office at the 1,200-bed new complex of the Civil hospital, which is about 200 meters away from the crash site, on Thursday when he heard a loud sound. He immediately mobilised five ambulances available there and rushed to the spot. "Initially I thought it was a big accident," he said. "But the fire and the smoke there told us that it was something much bigger, and probably an air crash."
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Sandhu called his superior Jitendra Shahi, who rushed 25 more ambulances to the spot. "Meanwhile, we saw a wounded security guard and sent him to hospital," Sandhu said. "And then, we saw a man walking out of the building premises somewhat wounded. Initially we thought he was someone from the building who had probably jumped out of the building."
As they were taking the confused-looking man to the hospital, he told the paramedic in the ambulance that he was travelling to London in that plane, said Shahi. They did not believe him initially. "Later in the evening, when we checked the visual, cross-checked his name with the flight manifest, it was only then we realised that he was indeed the sole survivor of the crash," said Shahi.
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Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Wilson Survey maps: Restoring Delhi's lost blueprint, one inch at a time
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The administration, in its early years, sought better tools to manage land, taxation, and governance within Shahjahanabad's labyrinthine bounds. Wilson set out with a plane table, alidade, and tripod to survey each kuncha, every building, drain, well, and street, from the Red Fort to the hills of Paharganj. A senior MCD official said that Wilson's 250-sheet survey formed the first truly comprehensive map of Delhi. 'There was an earlier survey done in 1873, but it was rudimentary. The administration needed something more precise and detailed. Wilson was paid ₹550 a month at the time, which would amount to roughly ₹28 lakh in today's value,' the official said. Each sheet, measuring 2.5 feet by 3 feet, was scaled meticulously and numbered with references to adjoining panels—effectively providing a satellite-like view of the city, nearly half a century before mankind would take a photo from space. Known as the 'Wilson Survey Report 1910-12', the compilation included both maps and associated explanatory reports and continues to be known for its precision and accuracy even today. More than a hundred years later, these maps are getting a new lease of life. MCD's heritage cell is working with experts from IGNCA to restore the original sheets, most of which were in an advanced state of decay when the project began. 'We've already restored over 110 sheets, which have been handed back to the MCD. The remaining maps will be completed over the next six months,' the official said. A lab resurrecting the past When IGNCA first received the maps, their condition was dire. Poor storage had taken a toll: corners had crumbled, the paper had yellowed, and the ink had begun to fade. 'Each material—canvas, muslin, paper—requires its own treatment. But our approach was minimal intervention. The aim is to conserve, not alter. 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We assign an accession number, note the type and strength of paper, creases, colour changes, and ink bleeding. Everything is photographed before and after,' he said. His assistant Ashutosh explained how ink signatures were stabilised using chemicals, especially where water damage was a concern. 'Each stain tells a different story—some were caused by spilled ink, others by old adhesives. Tape glue was removed using carbon tetrachloride. Even the way the paper curled told us how it had been stored,' he added. After treatment, the maps are mounted on Melinex polyester sheets. Mending is done to restore symmetry, and missing parts are 'filled', using a base of treated rice paper to provide strength to the map sheet. Finally, each sheet is pressed between layers of cotton cloth. 'Once the entire process is over, these maps will be ready to survive another hundred years,' Pandey said. A window into Shahjahanabad The Wilson Survey maps offer a rare, almost forensic view of the Walled City before it was transformed by waves of modernisation. The maps show the location of the original Kotwali (police station), once situated between Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Sunehri Masjid. They capture the layout of the palace of Begum Samru—now Bhagirath Palace—and mark the old wells of the city such as Chah Indara and Chah Rahat, once fitted with Persian-style water wheels. 'This was the first detailed documentation of the city's physical landscape,' said another senior MCD official. 'Chah in Persian means well. The walled city was full of them, though most have been filled in now. But many localities still bear their names.' Sanjay Bhargava, head of the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, remembers the old Kotwali building vividly. 'We grew up near that space. The police station used to stand right there, between the gurdwara and the mosque. The Wilson Survey is the only authentic document that shows how the city originally looked, complete with its wells and chabutras. Even during Metro excavation, they had to carry out surveys because of all the old wells,' he said. The survey, however, has not always had an easy custodial journey. In 2021, Delhi Archives attempted unsuccessfully to acquire the report. For years, the maps sat in municipal storage, weathering the bureaucracy. Some parts were obtained through RTI applications—occasionally to prove land encroachments. 'These maps were once the authorided reference for city planning,' said an official. 'Every drainage system, every alley, every plot was marked.' A new home in an old city Now, these once-forgotten sheets are headed for a more permanent and public home. The restored maps will be showcased in the 'Maps and Surveys' section of a new municipal museum being developed in the Old Press Building of the Town Hall complex, in partnership with IGNCA and the Aga Khan Foundation. 'The museum will have 10 thematic galleries,' said an MCD official. 'There will be sections for municipal artifacts—old wall clocks, mementos, paintings, abhinandan patras, even fabric relics. One gallery will focus entirely on historical maps and survey documents.' The idea is to trace the evolution of Delhi's civic administration and urban planning over the past 160 years. The Wilson Survey maps, in particular, are expected to be a centrepiece. 'This isn't just about cartography,' said Bhargava. 'This is about collective memory' As Delhi spreads outward, these carefully restored sheets remain a reminder of a time when the city was walked, drawn, measured, and mapped by hand. A time when wells lent names to neighbourhoods, streets told vivid stories, and a surveyor's pen captured it all—inch by ink-stained inch. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
AI 171 Plane crash victim's grieving sister dies of heart attack
Ahmedabad: The AI 171 plane crash claimed the lives of two members of the Parmar family – Bhogilal, 57, and his wife Hansa, 55, natives of Rakhiyana near Mandal in Ahmedabad district – on Thursday. But even before the family could recover from the blow, they received another: Bhogilal's elder sister, Gomti Parmar, unable to process the grief, collapsed and died. Bhogilal and his wife Hansa were among the passengers on board the ill-fated Air India flight when it crashed near B J Medical College on June 12. The couple, on their first-ever trip abroad, had been invited by their son and daughter-in-law in the UK, who are expecting their first child this week. A by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo s their relatives gathered at the family home in Lambha, Ahmedabad, to mourn, the shock of the tragedy proved too much for 65-year-old Gomti. Her son, Sagar, who lives in Vaghala near Patdi in Surendranagar, said she collapsed during the gathering and died on the spot. "She was very close to my mama (uncle)," he said. "When she heard about the crash and realized there were almost no survivors, her heart just gave out." Gomti's final rites were performed on Friday — ironically, before those of her younger brother, whose mortal remains are still being identified. While Hansa's body has been identified, DNA reports for Bhogilal are still awaited. Sagar said his cousin Pinki, Bhogilal's daughter, gave a sample for DNA matching."Their last rites will take place once both the bodies are handed over to the family," said Sagar. "It's all too much for us. My mother and uncle were emotionally very close since childhood. She couldn't bear the grief," Sagar said. "We were all excited for the baby. Now we don't know how to console each other." The family had hoped this week would be a time of celebration and joy. Instead, they find themselves reeling from loss after loss; mourning not just those who died in the crash, but also a woman who died from the weight of the sorrow.
Time of India
an hour ago
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IT professional & son die in bridge collapse just a month after moving into new home in Pimpri Chinchwad
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