British man has ‘no idea' how he escaped doomed Air India aircraft, family say
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 told PA: '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.'
According to the Hindustan Times, Mr Ramesh said after the crash: 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.'
Downing Street said the public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives.
Images taken after the incident showed debris from the plane scattered around the area, including parts of the fuselage, tail and landing gear embedded in the B J Medical College building.
Air India said 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, one Canadian and seven Portuguese nationals were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of those who were killed in the crash.
The company said it would also cover the medical costs of those injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college the plane crashed into.
UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
The King said he was 'desperately shocked' and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated on the developing situation.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was in constant contact with Indian authorities.
He said: 'I think it is important for all friends and family to contact the foreign office so we can roll out this as quickly as possible, but it is an ongoing investigation. It'll take some time.
'But you know, 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.'
Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, told the Associated Press that at least five medical students had been killed and about 50 were injured after the plane hit the college.
Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed his 'deep sorrow', adding: 'This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.'
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers on board the Air India flight.
It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
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The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
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Wales Online
35 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Air India Flight 171 pilots named as desperate final message sent before crash
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Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Student missed Air India flight because she was stuck in traffic
A British student who was meant to be on the doomed Air India plane missed the flight because of a traffic jam. Bhumi Chauhan, who lives in London, said she had arrived at the airport in Ahmedabad 10 minutes too late to board the flight to Gatwick and pleaded with staff to let her on. She told NDTV: 'I got late because I was stuck in traffic. I was upset [after being denied boarding], and reached the airport exit when I learnt the plane had crashed. My Ganpati ji [a deity in Hinduism] saved me. 'I was getting ready to step out of the airport when I learnt about the crash. I began shivering. My legs started trembling. I felt numb for quite some time.' Ms Bhumi, a business student at the University of Gloucester, added: 'The flight was scheduled to take off at 1.10pm. The boarding procedure was over at 12.10pm and I reached it at 12.20pm. 'I had reached the checking-in gate and requested them to allow me to board the flight. I told them I shall clear all the formalities quickly, but they did not allow me to proceed.' Ms Chauhan's mother said: 'We thank God for protecting my daughter. She left her child with me, and it's all because of God's blessings – because of that child, she is with me. By God's grace, she returned home safely.' The plane crashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad within seconds of take-off, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground. Of the 242 passengers and crew, one man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was returning to his family home in Leicester, miraculously survived. On Friday, Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, met Mr Ramesh, a 40-year-old who had been in seat 11A, next to one of the aircraft's emergency exits, when the crash happened.
