Air India Crash and the 'Miracle' of Its Sole Survivor
An Air India passenger plane heading to London, England, carrying 242 people (including 12 crew members), crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. While the authorities initially said no one made it out of the crash alive, the world was stunned to learn that there was, in fact, a sole survivor.
"The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital," read a statement shared by Air India on Friday, local time. "The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin."
The British national in question has been widely identified as Viswashkumar Ramesh, who was travelling home alongside his brother.
The Ramesh family, who are both celebrating Viswashkumar's survival and mourning the loss of his brother, has since spoken to Sky News.
Speaking from Leicester, England, Viswashkumar's brother Nayan Kumar Ramesh reported that Viswashkumar spoke to his father before takeoff and after surviving the crash.
'I don't know where my brother is; I don't see any other passengers. I don't know how I'm alive, how I exited the plane,' Nayan reported his brother saying after the crash.
'This is a miracle that he survived,' Nayan said of Viswashkumar. 'But what other miracle for my other brother?'
Vishwashkumar is receiving treatment at Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital, where he has been visited by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also attended the bedside of locals who were not onboard the plane but were struck and injured by the crash.
"Met those injured in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, including the lone survivor and assured them that we are with them and their families in this tough time. The entire nation is praying for their speedy recovery," Modi said on Friday.
The Air India flight struck a medical school hostel when it crashed, killing at least one person on the ground. At least seven people have been reported missing and over 50 from the building have been hospitalized and are receiving treatment.
Sambit Patra, a lawmaker from Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said Gujarat's former chief minister, Vijay Rupani, was among the plane passengers who died.
The plane took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 p.m local time. Early signs of a problem came shortly thereafter, when Air India announced the aircraft had been 'involved in an accident.'
FlightRadar, which displays live updates for flights worldwide, shows that the path of the plane ended shortly after takeoff. The signal with the aircraft was lost at around 625 ft.
A large ball of flames could be seen rising from the crash site, followed by clouds of dark smoke as emergency services rushed to the scene. Images of the crash site show extensive damage to buildings in the vicinity, with charred rubble and parts of the plane scattered across the landscape. The rear of the aircraft could be seen partially intact on top of a nearby building.
Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft travelling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was carrying 242 people, including 12 crew members.
The flight was scheduled to land at Gatwick Airport at approximately 6:25 p.m. local time on Thursday evening.
Aviation expert Julian Bray has said that the pilot made a mayday call before the crash, indicating that the crew was aware of a problem with the aircraft.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, pilot Sumeet Sabharwal had 8,200 hours of flight experience and co-pilot Clive Kundar had 1,100 hours.
It is the first ever Boeing 787-8 plane to crash, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
However, generally speaking, Boeing has a history of high-profile crashes. This latest incident comes a month after the aircraft company agreed to pay $1.1bn in a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to avoid prosecution over two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that together killed 346 people.
In a statement about the Air India crash, Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said:'Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.'
Boeing has said it will defer to India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to provide information about Air India Flight 171, in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol.
The overall investigation will involve various faculties and countries pooling their resources.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has announced it "will be leading a team of U.S. investigators travelling to India to assist the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau with its investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787." While the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said his department is 'prepared to assist India with anything it needs to investigate this tragedy.'
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who referred to the crash as "devastating," confirmed he has dispatched an investigation team, led by the Foreign Secretary, to work closely with the Indian authorities.
Meanwhile, Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said that it is 'deeply anguished' by the crash. The company announced it will be providing ₹1 crore, equivalent to over $116,000, to the families of those who died in the crash.
'We remain steadfast in standing with the affected families and communities during this unimaginable time,' the Tata Group relayed in a statement.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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