Family of sole Air India crash survivor speak out after ‘miracle' escape
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed 241 passengers.
Nayan Kumar Ramesh, Vishwash's brother, reported that Vishwash called their father immediately after the crash.
Vishwash inquired about his younger brother Ajay, who was also on the flight from Ahmedabad, Nayan said.
The family considers Vishwash's survival a 'miracle', while mourning the loss of Ajay.
Watch the video in full above.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
‘My grandson was burnt alive': Grief engulfs neighbourhood where Air India crash killed dozens on the ground
Grief hangs heavy in Meghani Nagar in Ahmedabad, as the wreckage of a London‑bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner lies smouldering in the compound of BJ Medical College. The devastating crash – which took place around 2pm local time on Thursday – left emergency services scrambling amid thick plumes of smoke and debris, entire streets in shock and families shattered. All but one of the 242 people on board the flight were killed, but there were dozens more fatalities on the ground as the plane came down in a residential area. Among those devastated by the unfathomable tragedy is the Patni family. Seventy-year-old Babibehen Babu Bhai Patni sits on the gritty communal floor of her residential society, utterly inconsolable. Click here for the latest updates on the crash She mourns her 12-year-old grandson Akash, whose life was tragically cut short, while her son and daughter‑in‑law suffered grievous injuries. The young boy was accompanying his mother, Sitabehen Patni, when he fell asleep beneath a tree near their tea stall on the college grounds. Moments later, the aircraft hurtled from the sky, engulfing him in a fatal fire. 'All that remains of him is his burnt body, almost looking like a piece of ash,' Babibehen says, her voice choked with agony. 'My daughter… her arm, her leg, all burnt. She is serious and in ICU. My son is also burnt. Nothing of my grandson's is left. What will I do? Is this even his age to die?' Her grief is unfiltered, raw, and unrelenting as she wails loudly, surrounded by the women of her community. The body of Akash remains at the hospital in Ahmedabad, awaiting identification and release to his family – a cruel limbo that amplifies her sorrow. Outside the Civil Hospital, 24‑year‑old Kajal Patni – Akash's grief-struck elder sister – waits in the oppressive sun as she retraces the final moments of her brother's life 'He had gone to get lunch for my parents at around 2pm,' she explains. 'Mum had come home for a quick shower, so he took a nap waiting for her. She was almost back when the crash happened. A deafening explosion was followed by wisps of dark smoke. When she ran towards him, everything was pitch‑black. Tears stream down her face. 'The authorities haven't told me when I will see his body. I just want my brother… I feel restless, suffocated, like I cannot breathe. Both my children used to play around him. What will I tell them?' This grief is not contained within hospital walls; it spills across the campus grounds, amplified by cellphone videos circulating of Akash's charred, unidentifiable remains lying in the rubble. Inside the medical college hostel kitchen, 30‑year‑old Shahana Khatoon was cleaning pots when the calamity struck. 'I heard a huge explosion,' she recalls, eyes distant. 'Suddenly, everything went black – from the dense smoke. At first, I thought it was a big storm. But then people started yelling, 'A plane has crashed! Run!' Debris and dust filled the air. I was terrified.' She and a colleague attempted to flee, aided by two boys eating at a café nearby. 'They saved us, but both were injured in the melee,' she says, referring to the chaos left in the wake of the crash. Now, Khatoon anxiously awaits news of her missing co‑worker and the woman's two-year-old granddaughter, Adiya. 'Their bodies haven't been found,' she says, voice quivering. 'We're still looking for them.' Her husband, Kurban Ali, 35, rushed to the site fearing for his wife and daughter's lives. 'I was frantic,' he says. 'Police wouldn't let me in. My wife and daughter returned about four hours later – thankfully okay –but those hours were quite painful for me. I did not know whether they were dead or alive.' 'It was at least an hour after the incident, that my wife managed to contact me and tell that she was safe,' he says, standing outside his society. Footage recorded by residents captured the scene: thick black smoke swallowed hundreds of metres of the campus, as survivors frantically tried to escape the blast zone. From his sixth-floor kitchen window, 38‑year‑old Arunbhai Mangal Bhai Parmar witnessed the horrifying descent of the aircraft. 'It was flying straight, then suddenly just stopped –parked in the air – and plunged,' he says, mimicking its sudden drop. 'Then came the blast.' He tried to assist but was thwarted by fire and security barriers, he says. 'The rescue work could only begin once the fire brigade arrived – about 30 minutes later. Even then, I could do nothing; police had already blocked access.' Surrounding streets were thrown into pandemonium. Just next door, 55‑year‑old Suresh Bhai was tending to his sewing shop when he heard the tremendous impact. 'At first, we thought it was a bomb. There was a massive plume of smoke, and we were terrified there might be another explosion,' he recalls. 'At first we thought it was an attack or something. There was a lot of chaos. Everyone started rushing down. Firefighters came in soon. We were all scared that what if it is a bomb blast and feared there might be another." In the hours that followed the crash, debris lay strewn across the campus compound. Initial images show a jagged section of fuselage embedded in the college building. At least five medical students enrolled at BJ Medical College died, and around fifty others were injured. The charred remains of the building where the jet had smashed remain ominously blackened. The impact of the plane crash could also be seen outside the post-mortem office of Civil Hospital, located about a kilometre from the impact site. The air was thick with the smell of burnt bodies, with officials, civilians and media personnel roaming around with their faces covered with masks. Hundreds of relatives gathered outside sat inert, their expressions vacant with loss and uncertainty. Some waited for the bodies of loved ones, others held on to a flicker of hope, as ambulances arrived in quick succession. Security forces – police, CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), NSG (National Security Guard) and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) – were rapidly deployed after the crash, and the government swiftly imposed strict information controls. Air India's parent company, the Tata Group, has pledged Rs10m – roughly £86,000 –to the next of kin of each victim. They will also cover medical expenses of the injured and assist in rebuilding parts of the college. But as yet, the final death toll from the ground has yet to be confirmed. Officials on condition of anonymity told The Independent that at least seven bodies have been released to families after post‑mortem checks and DNA tests. A senior hospital official said: 'They have instructed us not to release the death toll for another two days, until all bodies are identified.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie cricket star David Warner has vowed to NEVER fly with Air India again after plane crash disaster
Former Australian cricketer David Warner has vowed to never fly Air India against after the recent plane crash disaster that killed 274 people. On June 12, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner enroute from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in 274 fatalities, including 241 onboard and 33 on the ground. The aircraft lost stability at approximately 625 feet altitude and descended rapidly within a minute of departure, crashing into the hostel block of B.J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad. The sole survivor, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was seated in seat 11A near an emergency exit and managed to escape the wreckage with injuries. Investigations are ongoing, with both black boxes recovered, one of which sustained minor damage. Preliminary reports suggest potential mechanical failures, with the aircraft's landing gear possibly still deployed during takeoff. Warner, who recently returned to Pakistan for the completion of the PSL, shared an alleged account from an ex-Air India crew person named Vivek that had been posted to social media. 'Hey! I'm an ex air india crew and this was a frequent aircraft that I'd fly,' the original post read. 'This aircraft has had issues for YEARS. Literally years. 'The crew, pilots, engineers, literally everyone has always mentioned about it in the log book. 'But the company didn't have a spare Dreamliner for their most precious Gatwick sector. Which is why we were always made to fly this aircraft. 'I've myself had an engine failure on this aircraft. Thankfully we landed back safely. 'It was a similar case where we took off and immediately landed back without being in air for even 30 mins. 'Here, no staff but solely the company is at fault. But the company won't let any staff talk about it on a public channel. They'd rather blame the staff and not take accountability.' Warner has had issues with Air India before, posting this complaint to social media in March Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the information in this post is factual or that Air India is at fault for the tragedy. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered enhanced maintenance checks on Air India's Boeing 787 fleet. However Warner shared the post with the caption: 'If this is true it's absolutely shocking. Thoughts go out to all the families.' He tagged the post with @airindia and also wrote that he would not continue to fly with the Indian airline. 'I would never fly @airindia ever again after this and my last interaction with them,' Warner posted. The previous incident Warner is referring to happened in March, when he and hundreds of other passengers were forced to wait in an Air India plane that did not have any pilots. 'We've boarded an aircraft without any pilots and have been waiting for hours. Given that you don't have any pilots for the aircraft, why would you still board passengers? Warner posted to X at the time. Air India addressed the issue in a social media response at the time. Ambulances are seen parked near the post-mortem room at a hospital before transferring victims' dead bodies to a mortuary in Ahmedabad 'Departure was delayed because the crew running your flight was delayed on a previous assignment that was impacted by these problems. Thank you for choosing to fly with us, and we appreciate your patience,' Air India said on X. Warner also shared footage of United States Senator Josh Hawley who recently grilled the Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun over 737 safety hazards. '@Boeing another plane gone down. Innocent lives lost, sack people to make profit for their executives. Disgraceful,' Warner posted as the caption. Air India is co-operating with authorities in the wake of the tragedy. 'Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones,' it said in a statement. 'A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support. Air India is giving its full cooperation to the authorities investigating this incident.' In a separate statement, Boeing said: 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.' Warner became one of the most successful overseas players in history in the Indian Premier League and is a local favourite. UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly… — Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025 A statement from Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg on Air India Flight 171. Full statement: — Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) June 12, 2025 Over 176 matches, he scored 6397 runs at an average of 41.54 and a strike rate of 139.91. He notched up four centuries and 61 fifties, and claimed the Orange Cap as the league's leading running scorer three times - in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Warner also captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to their only IPL title in 2016. The left-hander is also the fourth highest run-scorer in the league's history, behind only Indian legends Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Warner went unsold in the most recent IPL auction and played in the Pakistan Super League instead. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Remembering the British victims of the Air India plane crash
Here are the British victims of the deadly Air India plane crash, which claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers onboard. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner left the runway at Ahmedabad Airport on Thursday (12 June) before erupting into a fireball as it crashed moments later in a residential area. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national, is the sole survivor of the flight, which was composed of 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his devastation and offered condolences on behalf of the country, whilst King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were "desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad" and extended their sympathy to those affected.
