Lone Survivor In Massive Air India Crash Is British National Who Was Visiting Family
As rescue teams work to find more victims at the smoldering site of Thursday's Air India crash in Ahmedabad, authorities confirmed that only one person on the flight had survived.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, hitting a medical school in the western Indian city with a full fuel tank and creating a catastrophic explosion. On Thursday, Air India confirmed that all but one of the 242 people on the London-bound flight were killed in the crash.
'The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital,' the airline said in a statement, confirming that the survivor was one of the 53 British nationals on board.
Dr. Dhaval Gameti confirmed treating the survivor at Civil Hospital, identifying him as 38-year-old Vishwashkumar Ramesh and telling The Associated Press that he was disoriented with injuries but 'seems to be out of danger. Union Minister Amit Shah posted photos on X, formerly Twitter, of him visiting patients, including the survivor, at the hospital.
'It's nothing short of a miracle. I have reached out to the family, and I'm choosing to respect their privacy at this trying time,' Shivani Raja, a member of U.K. Parliament for Leicester East, told CNN.
Indian news outlets are identifying Ramesh in a video circulating online that shows a bloodied man limping toward an ambulance while telling those following that he came from 'inside' the aircraft. The man also says in Gujarati that the plane 'exploded' and that other passengers are 'back there inside,' according to India Today.
From the hospital bed, Ramesh told The Hindustan Times that he's lived in Britain for the past 20 years with his wife and child, and was visiting family in India for a few days. Raja told CNN that the family lives in Leicester, which has a large Gujarati population.
He recalled to the outlet there was a loud noise about 30 seconds after takeoff when the plane crashed, resulting in 'impact injuries' on his chest, eyes and feet.
'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran,' he told HT. '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.'
Ahmedabad's police commissioner told reporters that the survivor was seated in 11A, a window seat in the first row of the economy cabin. Ramesh was traveling with his brother Ajay, who was seated in a different row and didn't survive.
'Everyone is completely devastated and just in shock,' another of the survivor's brothers, Nayan, told The New York Times.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he is still 'establishing the facts' surrounding Ramesh's survival, but that the government is providing what assistance it can to aid the families affected.
'We're in constant contact with the Indian authorities, and we've dispatched our own team that's been acknowledged to work with them,' Starmer said Thursday.
'I think it is important for all friends and family to contact the Foreign Office so we can roll this out as quickly as possible,' he continued. 'But it is an ongoing investigation, and it'll take some time, but our hearts and our thoughts are absolutely with the friends and families of all those affected who are going to be absolutely devastated by this awful news.'
The overall death toll is higher, with officials stressing dozens more were killed and wounded on the ground when the flight crashed into the medical college. Ahmedabad deputy police commissioner Vishakha Dabral told reporters that at least 265 bodies have been brought to Civil Hospital, but cautioned that authorities won't know the exact toll until they've completed DNA testing.
Shah said the extreme heat caused by the plane's burning fuel has made it 'impossible to save anyone.'
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