Prime Minister Modi Visits Sole Survivor Of Devastating Air India Crash In Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on Friday to meet Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the catastrophic Air India plane crash that occurred on Thursday. The 40-year-old British national remains the only person to survive the tragedy that claimed at least 260 lives when flight AI-171 crashed shortly after takeoff.
During his hospital visit, Modi spent time in the C7 ward where 25 injured individuals are receiving treatment. The Prime Minister also engaged with medical staff treating the survivors and reviewed the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was seated in position 11A aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, strategically located near an emergency exit. This fortunate seating arrangement enabled him to escape the aircraft during the disaster. Speaking from his hospital bed, Ramesh described the terrifying moments following the crash.
"When I regained consciousness, bodies surrounded me everywhere. Fear overwhelmed me as I stood up and fled. Aircraft debris was scattered all around. Someone pulled me to safety and transported me to the hospital in an ambulance," Ramesh recounted to media personnel.
The survivor, who holds British citizenship, was traveling to Britain with his brother after visiting family members in India. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Ramesh managed to exit the aircraft before or after impact.
Earlier on Friday, the Prime Minister conducted an on-site inspection of the Air India crash location in Ahmedabad, assessing the ground situation firsthand. Modi arrived in the city that morning and proceeded directly to examine the site where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner met its tragic end.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and other senior officials accompanied the Prime Minister during this critical assessment visit.
The Air India flight AI-171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed merely 33 seconds after departing from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The aircraft subsequently collided with a nearby medical college hostel, resulting in widespread devastation.
The passenger manifest revealed 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national aboard the ill-fated flight. All 242 passengers and crew members perished in the accident, except for the lone survivor.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has initiated a comprehensive formal investigation into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171. The investigation aims to determine the exact cause of the accident and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The crash represents one of the most devastating aviation disasters in recent Indian history, prompting immediate government response and international attention to aviation safety protocols.
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