Everything we know about the 'miraculous' survival of Air India passenger
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A British national has been identified as the sole survivor of an Air India crash that killed at least 290 people. Air India Flight 171 was headed for Gatwick Airport from Ahmedabad, in north-west India, on Thursday. It was carrying over 240 passengers. It struggled to climb above the runway before it plummeted into a doctor's hostel, killing all but one person on board, and at least 50 more on the ground. One man walked away from the crash. An Air India plane headed for London crashed with more than 240 people on board, in the north-west Indian city of Ahmedabad, on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (9News) British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only survivor. When the plane began descending, it split in half, throwing him from his seat before he heard a loud explosion, a medic who spoke to Ramesh told the Associated Press. He was returning home to the UK after visiting family in India. A doctor said he had examined the sole survivor of the Air India crash, whom he identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. (Supplied) It is unclear how Ramesh survived. He reportedly suffered "impact injuries" to his chest, eyes and feet. A doctor told CNN that Ramesh's condition was "not very critical" and that he could be released in the next couple of days. "He has some blood in the images, but he's not very badly injured," said Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. "He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues." British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh can be seen walking following the crash. (Supplied) According to Reuters, local police said the man had been in seat 11A. Indian news outlets have shared a photo of Ramesh's boarding pass, which indicates that he was in seat 11A of the flight. The seat was in the emergency exit row, just in front of the plane's left wing. First responders at the crash site scenes in Ahmedabad, Gujarat following an Air India plane crash (X/ Central Industrial Security Force, MHA ) CNN safety analyst and former US Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie expressed surprise that someone seated at that part of the plane would survive such a crash. That seat is "right where the spar of the wing would go under and it would be a solid place for the aircraft to hit the ground, but as far as survivability above it, that is incredibly surprising," he told CNN. A British member of parliament said Ramesh's survival was "nothing short of a miracle." According to US aviation data, passengers sitting in the back of a plane have the highest chance of surviving a crash. The National Transportation Safety Board in the US found that passengers at the back of the plane had a 69 per cent chance of survival during a crash, while passengers at the front had a 59 per cent chance of survival. People stand around the debris of an airplane after it crashed in India's northwestern city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) (AP) The Hindustan Times quoted Ramesh after speaking to him in local hospital, reportedly saying: Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly." "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran," he told the newspaper. "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." First responders at the crash site scenes in Ahmedabad, Gujarat following an Air India plane crash (X/ Central Industrial Security Force, MHA ) Ramesh was travelling with his brother, who has not yet been found. He is believed to have died in the crash. Ramesh said he was looking for his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, in the wreckage, but he could not find him. He was sitting in a different row. "We visited Diu," he said, referring to a coastal town about 300 kilometres south-west of Ahmedabad. "He was travelling with me and I can't find him anymore. Please help me find him." World
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ABC News
33 minutes ago
- ABC News
Air India plane crash leaves grieving families searching for answers
Inayat Saiyad sent his final message to the family WhatsApp group just after midday on Thursday. "Boarding will start in a little while" he wrote in Hindi. "Thanks to all the family for making this trip enjoyable." The 48-year-old software professional, his wife Nafisa, and their two children — 25-year-old Taskin and 22-year-old Vakee — were about to travel home to the United Kingdom after spending time with relatives in western India. Inayat also sent the group what would his family's final photo together: a selfie of the four of them with a friend, laughing and smiling at the airport. Minutes later, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that the Saiyads were boarding — Air India Flight 171 to London — lifted off from Ahmedabad airport, only to plummet into a residential building seconds later. The explosion that followed was so intense, it killed all but one person on board. The Saiyads' relatives found out about the crash from the news. "I tried calling, but [Inayat's] phone was switched off," Inayat's brother Varis Saiyad told the ABC from his home in Ahmedabad. At least 265 people were killed in the Ahmedabad plane crash, making it India's deadliest aviation disaster in decades. After seeing the news, Varis and his family went to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to try to search for the Saiyads. Their shock quickly turned to frustration and helplessness. "There was no system in place there … no-one there to give information to us," Varis said. "We waited from afternoon to 8pm … even now, we do not have any information about the bodies. Where are they?" The government has set up a special DNA collection unit at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to identify the dead, many of whom were burned beyond recognition or fragmented by the blast. Families have been told it could take up to 72 hours for results. Nitin Sangwan, a senior government officer coordinating the effort, said teams were doing their best under extraordinary pressure. "We are also very distressed," he told the ABC. "The government is making all the efforts: physically, emotionally — everything. "We pray to God that they recover well." Inayat, one of seven siblings, grew up in Ahmedabad and had migrated to the UK with Nafisa more than 20 years ago in search of opportunity. He remained close with his family in India, returning once or twice a year to reconnect with his roots and his loved ones. "My brother was a jolly person. He used to visit India for happy occasions and stay for one to two months," Varis said. That optimism defined the family's final days in India. "They celebrated [Islamic holiday] Bakrid with us, enjoyed time with my kids," said Inayat's sister-in-law, Saiyad Sumia Varis Husain, as she walked the ABC through the quiet, grief-filled family home. "We dropped them at the airport together. My sister-in-law [Nafisa] and my niece [Taskin] hugged me before leaving and asked me to take care of myself and family." Inayat had originally booked the family on a flight from Delhi. But just a day before departure, Air India cancelled it and offered a more convenient direct flight from Ahmedabad instead. "It would be better if they hadn't switched flights," Varis said quietly, wiping away tears. The crash, reportedly caused just moments after take-off, turned the Dreamliner into a fireball. The plane had only climbed to 625 feet when it veered off course and slammed into the hostel of BJ Medical College, where students were sitting down for lunch. The aircraft was carrying 125,000 litres of fuel, Home Minister Amit Shah said. The blast left buildings scorched, limbs unrecognisable and survival nearly impossible. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met with the sole survivor. Air accident investigators from the US and UK have arrived in India to support the probe, which India's civil aviation ministry says will be "fair and thorough". On Friday, investigators recovered key evidence from the site of India's worst plane crash in decades. A black box was found on the rooftop of the hostel the plane crashed into. It's now with forensic teams, who hope the device will help explain why the aircraft fell from the sky moments after take-off. The aviation watchdog has also ordered sweeping safety checks of Air India's Dreamliner fleet, covering everything from fuel systems to engine controls. Officials warned the death toll could rise as emergency teams combed through the wreckage. In addition to the flight passengers and crew, locals also died after the plane crashed into the residential area. In the Saiyad home in Ahmedabad, the grief lingers in every corner — empty rooms, fresh laundry, paintings by Taskin. "Inayat's mother is 85 years old, she is still in shock," Saiyad Sumia Varis Husain said. "She is not able to accept it. Just a day before they happily say goodbye to her, they took a selfie."
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Joy and grief for lone India crash survivor's family
The UK-based family of the lone survivor of the Air India crash were torn on Friday between joy at his miracle escape and grief at the loss of his brother. "We are happy Vishwash has been saved, but on the other hand we are just heartbroken about Ajay," his cousin told AFP outside the family home in central Leicester. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only person to have survived the crash when Air India Flight 171 plummeted from the sky shortly after taking off from the northern Indian city of Ahmedabad. His brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, was on the same flight, but is believed to have perished in the disaster. There were 242 passengers and crew on the plane, including 53 British citizens. At least 24 people were killed on the ground, officials said, after the aeroplane landed on a canteen building where students were having lunch. Since Thursday's tragedy, the small Leicester street where Ramesh's parents and younger brother lived has been flooded with visitors. Ramesh lives not far away with his wife and son, his cousin Hiren Kantilal, 19, told AFP. Ajay also lived in the town, one of the oldest in England, and the two brothers ran a confectionary business together. "They are wonderful people, and heartful people. They are greatest men I have ever seen in my life, both of them," said Kantilal. The brothers were returning to the UK after spending a few weeks on holiday in India, and the family had been waiting to go and pick them up at Gatwick airport. - 'I am totally fine' - Shortly after the crash, they were shocked when Ramesh, who had reportedly been in seat 11A, called his father to say he was alive. Ajay was seated at the other end of the row. "Our plane has been crashed," Ramesh told his dad, according to his cousin. "He was bleeding all over him, in the face and everything, and he said: 'I am just waiting for my brother and I don't know how I get out of the plane'. "He said: 'do not worry about me, try to find about Ajay Kumar' and he said: 'I am totally fine'." Kantilal said his cousin had waited for about 10 to 15 minutes seeking his brother, and then was whisked away to hospital by the rescue services. Images which went viral on social media apparently showed Ramesh walking away from the wreckage of the 787-8 Boeing Dreamliner, and have been splashed across the front pages of British media along with a photo of him in his hospital bed. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Ramesh on Friday at the hospital where he is being treated for burns and other injuries, footage on his YouTube channel showed. "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. His parents had also been desperately trying to contact his brother Ajay on Thursday. "The call was going through, but no-one was answering the call," Kantilal said. At the family home, relatives were frantically scanning their phones to try to buy a flight to Ahmedabad later on Friday afternoon. Downing Street said that the foreign ministry had been in touch with Ramesh to offer him consular assistance. mhc/alm/jkb/bc
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Air India passenger sparks interest in sole survivors
The notion that only one person survived the Air India plane crash that killed 241 people on board is sparking interest on social media about how that could happen and if such a thing has happened before. A medic has said Vishwashkumar Ramesh was thrown out of the plane and walked to a nearby ambulance for aid. Dr Dhaval Gameti, who treated Ramesh, told The Associated Press that Ramesh was disoriented with multiple injuries all over his body, but he seemed to be out of danger. People on social media have been commenting about the idea of only one person surviving the crash, calling it unreal, remarkable, a work of divine intervention, and a miracle. In recent decades, several other people have been the lone survivors of plane crashes. Cecelia Crocker — known as Cecelia Cichan at the time of the 1987 crash — was only four when she was aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 255 when it crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing 154 people on board, including her parents and brother. Two people also died on the ground. The Phoenix-bound plane was clearing the runway when it tilted and the left wing clipped a light pole before shearing the top off a rental car building. The McDonnell Douglas MD80 left a 800-metre trail of bodies and wreckage along Middle Belt Road. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the plane's crew failed to set the wing flaps properly for take-off. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem. Cichan said in a 2013 documentary that she thought about the crash every day and that she had scars on her arms, legs and forehead. She had also gotten an airplane tattoo on her wrist. 'I got this tattoo as a reminder of where I've come from. I see it as — so many scars were put on my body against my will — and I decided to put this on my body for myself,' she said in the film. At least three other people have been 'sole survivors' of plane crashes. George Lamson Jr, then a 17-year-old from Plymouth, Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985. Lamson in a social media post on Thursday said the news of a plane crash in India with only one survivor shook him. 'There are no right words for moments like this, but I wanted to acknowledge it,' he said. 'These events don't just make headlines. They leave a lasting echo in the lives of those who've lived through something similar.' Bahia Bakari, then 12, lived through a Yemenia Airways flight that crashed near the Comoro Islands in 2009. Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky.
