'Bodies all around me.' Air India crash survivor describes harrowing aftermath
A British survivor on Air India flight 171 has spoken out about the final moments before the crash in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to India media channel ANI on a phone call, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said: "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment.
"Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area," Malik added, reports The Express.
The surviving passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, told the Hindustani Times: "Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly."
Mr Ramesh, who has lived in London for 20 years and was in India for a few days to visit family, reportedly suffered "impact injuries" on his chest, eyes and feet.
"When I got up, there were bodies all around me," he added.
"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."
Mr Ramesh was returning to the UK with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, on the flight. It is believed that he was seated in a different row on the plane.
"We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can't find him anymore. Please help me find him," Mr Ramesh said.
The Express understands that staff at the Indian High Commission in London are working "flat out" to attend queries from the families of the crash victims. The team is following a procedure of gathering the most relevant information from authentic sources.
Air India has said it is organising two relief flights to Ahmedabad for families of the passengers involved in the plane crash and airline staff.
The airline is sending return flights from Delhi and Mumbai that will arrive at 11pm local time and depart shortly after 1am on Friday.
The airline said: "Next of kin of passengers and staff in Delhi and Mumbai wanting to travel on these flights can call our hotline on 1800 5691 444.
"Additionally, those coming in from international destinations and wanting to travel can call our hotline on +91 8062779200."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
26 minutes ago
- The Journal
Miracle of Seat 11A: How did a passenger survive the Air India crash?
IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED as the 'Miracle of Seat 11A' and the passenger in question is at a loss to explain it. British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only survivor of 242 people aboard a London-bound passenger plane that crashed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad yesterday. He was sitting in seat 11A, which is next to one of the aircraft's emergency exits. His brother, who was sitting on the other side of the aisle in seat 11J, was among those killed in the explosion. Ramesh told India TV that he thought he was dead but realised he was alive when saw an opening in the fuselage that he managed to push through. However, a professor in aerospace and aviation said it would be a 'struggle' to infer that seat 11A is in someway safer than other seats after Ramesh's unlikely survival. Graham Braithwaite, director of aerospace and aviation at Cranfield University, told the PA news agency: 'I can only imagine that he was thrown from the wreckage, and that somehow as it crashed, what it hit managed to absorb some of the impact.' He went on: 'Looking at the scene, I would imagine that the disruption to the aircraft would have been huge. 'If anybody could have got out, then they probably could have just gone out in a gap in the fuselage.' He added: 'At the point that an aircraft like that hits a building and catches fire, there's probably not too much you can do in that situation beyond being lucky about where you're sat.' 'Even I couldn't believe' 'It's a miracle at least one of them survived,' younger brother Nayankumar Ramesh told the Daily Mail from his home in Leicester. Advertisement The death toll currently stands at 265, including at least 24 others killed on the ground. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane, which was full of fuel as it took off for a long-haul flight to London, exploded into a burst of orange flame just after taking off. Videos shared on social media showed Ramesh soon after, dressed in a bloodied t-shirt and limping, but walking towards an ambulance. Here is Ramesh Vishwas Kumar, seated on 11A in the ill fated Air India flight, walking out ALIVE from the fireball. It is just like Bruce Willis' character, the lone survivor in a catastrophic train crash in M. Night Shyamalan's movie Unbreakable (2000). — Sangha/ਸੰਘਾ/संघा/سنگھا (@FarmStudioz) June 12, 2025 Speaking from his hospital bed today, he struggled to explain how he miraculously walked away from the fireball explosion. 'Everything happened in front of me, and even I couldn't believe how I managed to come out alive from that,' Ramesh said from his hospital bed, speaking in Hindi to national broadcaster DD News. 'Within a minute after takeoff, suddenly… it felt like something got stuck… I realised something had happened, and then suddenly the plane's green and white lights turned on,' Ramesh said. 'After that, the plane seemed to speed up, heading straight towards what turned out to be a hostel of a hospital. Everything was visible in front of my eyes when the crash happened.' British crash survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh describes his escape from the Air India plane in Ahmedabad. Everyone on the plane died, except for him. — Sky News (@SkyNews) June 13, 2025 Another news channel, India TV, reported that Ramesh said: 'The aircraft wasn't gaining altitude and was just gliding before it suddenly slammed into a building and exploded. 'Everything happened in seconds. I realised we were going down.' 'I still don't understand' He told India TV that he thought he was dead but realised he was alive when saw an opening in the fuselage. 'I managed to unbuckle myself, used my leg to push through that opening, and crawled out,' said Ramesh. Read Next Related Reads Death toll at Air India plane crash site rises to 265, with one surviving passenger found 'Many of the bodies were burned': Black smoke rises over the scene of the Air India plane crash 'Everyone around me was either dead or dying. I still don't understand how I escaped.' Meanwhile, he told Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times report that he 'saw people dying in front of my eyes – the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me'. 'I think the side I was on was not facing the hostel,' he added. 'Where I landed was closer to the ground and there was space too and when my door broke – I saw that there was space, and I thought I could try to slip out.' He added that he 'stood up and ran' and that there were piece of the plane all around him. 'Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital,' said Ramesh. 'My left hand got slightly burnt due to the fire, but an ambulance brought me to the hospital,' he said. 'The people here are taking good care of me.' Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah meeting British plane crash survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh at a hospital in Ahmedabad Alamy Alamy Air India said there were 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board the flight bound for London's Gatwick airport, as well as 12 crew members. The death toll currently stands at 265, police said. Authorities have set up DNA testing for relatives of passengers and those killed on the ground to identify the scorched bodies and body parts. -With additional reporting from Press Association and © AFP 2025 Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
I escaped devastating plane crash that left 101 dead…while in SAME 11A seat as Brit sole survivor of Air India disaster
A LUCKY man who survived a fatal plane crash has revealed he was sat in the same seat as the Brit sole survivor in the Air India disaster. Ruangsak Loychusak was onboard the Thai Airways flight TG261 from Bangkok to India when it stalled and plunged into a swamp - killing 101 people on board. 13 Ruangsak Loychusak was on the doomed Thai Airways flight TG261 flight that crashed and killed 101 people Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 13 Loychusak has now revealed he was sat on seat 11A Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 13 A picture of Loychusak being rescued Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 13 Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is the sole survivor of the Air India Crash 13 Picture showing his flight's boarding pass But the singer revealed he was sitting in seat 11A when the plane went down in 1998. The tragedy left 101 of the 132 passengers and 14 crew members dead. Some 45 people were injured. It comes as... Horror footage shows moment plane crashes into fireball Woman Names of Pilot sent More Brits killed than A family shared a heartbreaking final selfie from onboard Follow The Sun's Ruangsak said he had "goosebumps" when it was Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, cheated death after being flung from his seat on the flaming Air India jet - He said the plane broke off after the crash and his seat flung out of the wreckage. Most read in The Sun Ruangsak said: "The lone survivor of the plane crash in India was sitting in the same seat number as me, 11A. Is THIS the moment that saved the sole Brit survivor? Vid shows debris fly from Air India jet…is it door he fled from? "I want to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones in the tragedy." Although the Thai man no longer has his ticket from the doomed flight almost three decades ago, he said the newspaper reports from the time had recorded his seat number. It would also be available on the flight records, he added. He said: "I had difficulty flying for 10 years after the crash. I would struggle to breathe, even though the air circulation was normal. "I avoided speaking to anyone and always stared outside the window, blocking anyone from closing it to maintain my sense of safety. "If I saw dark clouds or a rainstorm outside, I would feel terrible, like I was in hell. "I can still remember the sounds, smells, and even the taste of the water in the swamp the plane crashed into. "For a long time, I would keep the feelings to myself." The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - 13 A newspaper report about the Thai crash Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 13 Loychusak in a hospital aftr the crash Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 13 13 The plane was seen disappearing behind buildings before the huge blast Credit: X 13 The plane was seen wedged in a building Credit: Reuters But Ramesh miralously escaped from the burning aircraft, becoming the only person to make it out alive. Incredible footage shows him walking away from the wreckage almost unscathed. Flanked by the locals, he can be seen making his way towards an ambulance with blood caking his face. His boarding pass revealed he was sat on seat 11A, next to the flight's emergency exit. Ramesh revealed how he survived the tragic crash that killed everyone on board but him. Speaking in Hindi, he said: "Everything happened in front of me and I couldn't believe how I had come out alive. "I thought for a second that I was going to die. But when I opened my eyes, I realised I was alive. I tried to slip out of the plane. "I saw the air hostess, other passengers all in front of me. Within a few seconds, it felt the plane had stopped, and the green and white lights switched on. "It felt like maybe [the pilot] suddenly accelerated to take off, but it went down to a hostel from there at high speed. I saw everything. "The door broke [near me] broke off and I tried to slip out. The opposite side of the plane hit the wall. That's why others could not get out. "When I got out, I was taken to the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. My treatment is going well, and the people are very supportive." 13 Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky 13 The plane crashed into a doctor's hostel Credit: EPA 13 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 242 passengers on board - including 53 Brits - smashed into a doctors' hostel in Ahmedabad in the west of India. The plane was headed to London Gatwick with 232 passengers and 10 crew on board when it crashed just seconds after take-off. The Dreamliner lost contact just seconds after take-off, according to flight tracking website Flightradar. A final alert was last logged less than a minute after it started the journey from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It had only reached 625ft at the time, officials believe. Seconds before the crash, the Boeing was filmed flying low over the Meghani Nagar residential area with the pilots appearing to be in a desperate bid to keep the plane in the air. Read more on the Irish Sun Moments later, it was seen disappearing behind buildings before a huge blast was seen in the distance.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'I saw people dying in front of my eyes' — British survivor describes Air India crash
The British survivor of the Air India plane crash has described the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh said he thought he was dead when the plane crashed into a building, before realising he was alive and escaping the wreckage. Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old told DD News the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after takeoff before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Boeing 787 Dreamliner struck a medical college as it crashed in a fireball on Thursday, killing the other 241 people onboard. It is one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed, and the first involving a 787. Ramesh said: 'I can't believe how I came out of it alive. For a moment, I felt like I was going to die too but when I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive. I still can't believe how I survived.' Ramesh told the broadcaster: 'When the flight took off, within five to 10 seconds it felt like it was stuck in the air. 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. 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. I don't know how I survived,' 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 crash site was visited by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Ramesh in hospital. At least five medical students were killed and about 50 injured. There are fears the number of people killed on the ground could rise. Investigations are continuing into the cause of the crash. A British couple, Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who ran a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead. The Gloucester Muslim Community group offered 'sincere and deepest condolences' after Akeel Nanabawa, his wife, Hannaa, and their four-year-old daughter, Sara, were reported to be among the victims. Raj Mishra, the mayor of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, called for people to come together as he announced the deaths of 'Raxa Modha, infant Rudra Modha, and Ms K Mistri' in his constituency. Aviation experts have speculated about the possible causes of the crash, from both engines failing — possibly due to a bird strike, as happened in the 'Miracle on the Hudson' in 2009 — to the flaps on the aircraft's wings not being set to the correct position for takeoff. The Air India chief executive, Campbell Wilson, visited the area, according to the BBC, but did not take questions from the media. — The Guardian Read More
