
British man has ‘no idea' how he escaped doomed Air India aircraft, family say
A British man who survived the Air India plane crash has 'no idea' how he escaped the aircraft, his relatives have said.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was carrying more than 240 people from the city of Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport, including 53 British nationals, when it collided with a medical college shortly after take-off on Thursday, sparking a huge fireball.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash.
Speaking outside the family home in Leicester, his brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, 27, said: 'We were just shocked as soon as we heard it.
'I last spoke to him yesterday morning. We're devastated, just devastated.
'He said I have no idea how I exited the plane.'
Three Britons who died in the crash were named by the Gloucester Muslim Community on Facebook as Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their four-year-old daughter Sara.
Footage circulating online showed how the crash created a huge explosion, with an enormous ball of fire erupting from the aircraft, followed by plumes of black smoke.
Another of Mr Ramesh's relatives, Jay, said the survivor spoke to his father after the crash and asked after his brother Ajay, who is believed to have also been on the plane.
Jay said 'After the crash he spoke to his dad worrying about his brother saying 'Where's Ajay'?
'He's got some injuries on his face. He was painted in blood. He was pretty much covered in blood, that's what his dad said.
He added: 'He's doing well I think. It's a big shock. I don't have many words to describe the incident.'
Read More
Air India crash: Man reportedly survives as more than 290 people killed
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Harry's charity turns off Twitter comments over ‘targeted online harassment' – after boss accused Duke of ‘bullying'
PRINCE Harry's African charity Sentebale has dramatically switched off its Twitter comments over claims of "online harassment". The social media withdrawal comes months after the charity boss 3 A statement posted to Sentebale's social media Credit: 3 Harry quit the charity earlier this year after siding with its board in a bitter row with the chief Credit: AFP A statement posted online reads: "Unfortunately, we have had to temporarily disable comments on this platform due to the harmful effects of targeted online harassment." Harry stormed away from the charity at the end of March, siding with the trustees who said Chandauka's leadership was "untenable". In turn, she accused the royal of "harassment and bullying at scale", and labelled the Sussex brand "toxic" - allegations Harry's representatives have always denied. It is understood the trustees strongly disagreed with the decision to appoint Chandauka as chair from the start, and wanted her to step down. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at Most read in Royals 3 Dr Sophie Chandauka has been subject to horrific abuse since Harry went public with his attacks on her Credit: Getty


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Tiny detail in Brit sole survivor's gripping recollection of how doomed Air India jet went down may help solve mystery
THE death-cheating Brit sole survivor of the Air India disaster has revealed a clue something was wrong just moments before the crash. Vishwash Ramesh, 40, said the cabin lights began flickering before the jet sank through the air - a detail which could help solve the Advertisement 7 Vishwash Ramesh in hospital, visited by Indian PM Narendra Modi Credit: AFP 7 The Brit staggered away from the wreckage relatively unscathed Credit: Twitter 7 Investigators are scrambling to figure out what went so wrong with the plane Credit: Reuters Recalling "Suddenly, the lights started flickering - green and white. "The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded." Vishwash's flickering lights revelation comes after a passenger, who took the plane the day before the crash, claimed electrical parts such as the back-of-seat screens weren't working. Advertisement read more on the disaster Aviation experts have speculated that the reports of dodgy electrics could be a sign of a power failure, possibly explaining the crash. Air India is keeping an open mind as to what went wrong and caused Theories being considered include issues with the engine thrust, flaps and landing gear - as well as a bird strike and a pilot error. And the Indian government's investigation is also considering whether Air India was at fault in any way. Advertisement Most read in The Sun India's aviation regulator had recently ordered the airline to safety check its entire Boeing 787 fleet. Vishwash is the only person who can provide an insider's witness account of the moment - and previously said he has "no idea" how he survived. 'I opened my eyes & slipped out'…Brit sole survivor of Air India crash details escape He said: "I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me [...] I walked out of the rubble." The lucky escapee speculated: 'I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel. I don't know about others." Advertisement Other analysts have suggested he managed to escape thanks to a Vishwash's seat was 11A, right next to the emergency door, which is understood to have blown off when the plane struck the building and then . 7 Government officials beneath the tail of the plane, which remains wedged in a building Credit: EPA 7 Vishwash's boarding pass shows that he sat in seat 11A Credit: HT Photo Advertisement In the unbelievable footage, a tiny object is seen flying away for a split second - right before the jet is engulfed in flames. Investigators continue to analyse the footage and search for the mystery piece of debris as they try to find out what caused the horror crash. Recalling the moment of disbelief when he found himself alive, Vishwash said: "At first, I thought I was dead. Later, I realised I was still alive and saw an opening in the fuselage. "I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening and crawled out." Advertisement 7 Vishwash's brother, Nayankumar Ramesh, said the survivor had phone home to say he was 'fine' Credit: ITV 7 Luggage of the passengers lies in a pile at the crash site Credit: EPA "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. "Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital." Advertisement Vishwash that the plane caught fire before he fought through the rubble - and then exploded when he was just out of harm's way. Footage shows Vishwash, staggering and caked in blood with locals helping him an ambulance. Speaking in Hindi, he says: "I just got out of the plane, it exploded." From there he was rushed to hospital, and has since heaped praise on the medical staff treating him. Advertisement He said: 'My treatment is going well, and the people are very supportive.' Vishwash's brother Ajay was onboard the plane and died.


Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Tragic stories of Air India passengers just emerging
A man who had travelled to India to carry out his late wife's final wish, is among the dead in the Air India disaster. Dad-of-two Arjun Patoliya was heading home to the UK after a vigil to scatter his wife's ashes in the Narmada River in the Amreli region near Ahmadabad, as was her final wish. His wife Bharatiben had tragically died the previous week in London, leaving their two young daughters, aged four and eight, devastated. Smoke rises after a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in India's western state of Gujarat. Pic: Nandan Dave/Anadolu via Getty Images Mr Patoliya was heading home to the UK and boarded flight AI 171 after completing the funeral ceremony for his young wife the previous day. He died along with 240 other people aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it fell from the sky on take off from Ahmadabad airport yesterday afternoon (Thursday) and slammed into the densely populated area of Meghani, less than one minute after take-off. The story of the Patoliya family is just one of many harrowing accounts emerging in the wake of the tragedy, and while investigators begin the task of trying to piece together exactly what happened, the human cost of the disaster is just emerging as relatives share photos and videos their loved ones had sent as they prepared for take off. The Air India flight AI171 that crashed in Ahmedabad. Pic: EyePress News/REX/Shutterstock Dr. Prateek Joshi, and his wife Dr. Komi Vyas, sent a photo of their three children, huge grins of excitement on their faces, to their relatives in India and the UK, captioning the photo 'New Beginnings' as they began their journey to a new life in London. Dr. Joshi had been working in the UK for a number of years, and his wife and three children were moving to join him there. The children, twin boys aged five and a little girl of eight years of age died alongside their parents in the crash. And their stories are just two of many which will no doubt come to light in the coming days. Every single passenger on that plane had their own reasons for taking that flight, not knowing what lay ahead. Firefighters work at the site where Air India flight 171 crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad. Pic: Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images Whatever the Air Accident Investigators conclude from their examination of the wreckage and the limited conversations harvested from the Black Box flight recording, the human cost of this tragedy and the suffering and pain of relatives who waved loved ones off at Ahmadabad, as well as those waiting with open arms in London, is immense. And those stories are just beginning.