Latest news with #AIFlight171
Time of India
21 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Brothers seated across the aisle — only one walks out alive from Air India 171 crash
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Seat 11A became a lifeline for Viswashkumar Ramesh . Just across the aisle in 11J sat his brother, Ajaykumar Ramesh. Within 30 seconds of takeoff, fate tore the two apart, reported Thursday afternoon, AI Flight 171 — bound for London — crashed moments after departing Ahmedabad. Viswashkumar, a British citizen, stumbled out of the burning wreckage. He is the only confirmed survivor. He now lies in bed 11 of ward B7 at Ahmedabad civil hospital . His brother Ajaykumar is feared to be among the 265 who lost their lives.'There was a loud noise,' Viswashkumar told his cousin Dhirendra Somabhai from his hospital bed. 'The plane hung mid-air. Then came the pilot's voice: 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!''Dhirendra told TOI Viswashkumar remembers only jumping through a door. 'Nothing more.'Video footage shows him staggering through debris, bloodied and in shock, crying out: 'Plane fatyo che! Plane fatyo che!' (The plane exploded). Locals and rescue workers rushed to pull him into an ambulance. At the hospital, he wept and kept repeating: 'Where is my brother? Leave me alone. I don't want to talk. Can anyone tell me where he is?'Officials sealed off his ward around 2:30 pm after confirming his identity. Gujarat ATS and Ahmedabad crime branch officers have since restricted brothers had lived in London for 15 years, jointly running a garment business in the UK and a fishing venture in Diu . They were among 15 residents from Diu's Bucharwada and Vanakbara villages on the friend Ayub Mansuri, who dropped them at the airport Thursday morning, said Viswashkumar's father in London was the first to call him with the news. 'I managed to speak to Viswash three times after the crash, but then his phone died,' he told the news outlet. 'I hired an auto and made my way past roadblocks to reach the hospital. He had head injuries and bruises.'Dhirendra recalled a brief conversation the night before. 'We were all in Patelwadi. Viswash looked at me and said, 'I don't know when we'll meet next.''Diu additional district magistrate Vivek Kumar confirmed that all 15 passengers from the region have been identified. 'Only one survived. A team from the Diu administration has left for Ahmedabad,' he told TOI.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: Blaze left no chance of rescue, says Amit Shah
GANDHINAGAR: The intense heat from 1.25 lakh litres of burning jet fuel left "no chance of saving lives" after AI 171 crashed, Union home minister Amit Shah, who reached Ahmedabad after the crash, said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "All bodies have been recovered and DNA tests are being done to establish identities," he said after visiting the injured. 'Heat from 1.2L litres fuel left no chance of saving anyone' Shah said the searing heat from 1.25 lakh litres of jet fuel left "no chance of saving lives" after AI Flight 171 crashed Thursday in Ahmedabad. Of 242 people on board, only one survived - British citizen Viswashkumar Ramesh, with business in Diu. Shah visited the crash site and met the sole survivor at Ahmedabad civil hospital. "The temperature increased to such a level that there was no chance of saving lives," Shah told reporters after inspecting the wreckage and visiting the injured. "All bodies have been recovered and DNA sampling is underway to establish identities." Around 1,000 DNA tests would be conducted, including for relatives abroad, who have been informed and will be tested upon arrival, he said. "Gujarat has the facility for these tests. Mortal remains will be handed over after sampling," Shah said. Union civil aviation ministry has ordered a swift investigation into the crash, Shah said, with the aviation department initiating a probe. CM Bhupendra Patel, who returned from Bardoli to oversee rescue operations, joined Shah at the crash site and hospital, directing forensic and science teams at FSL and NFSU to expedite DNA collection as desperate families gathered. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Praising state response, Shah said: "Accidents cannot be prevented, but the administration's preparedness is tested during such times. Gujarat has handled the emergency remarkably well." The Union govt was alerted within 10 minutes of the crash, Shah said, with both central and state authorities launching a coordinated rescue mission. "The country stands in solidarity with the victims' families," he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Miracle survivor instils‘Viswash' in providence
1 2 Ahmedabad: Seat 11A saved Viswashkumar Ramesh. His brother Ajaykumar Ramesh sat across the aisles in 11J. Within 30 seconds, fate split them forever aboard AI Flight 171. The London-bound flight crashed shortly after takeoff Thursday afternoon. British citizen Viswashkumar staggered out of the wreckage — the only confirmed survivor — and is now recovering in bed 11 of ward B7 at Ahmedabad civil hospital. His brother Ajaykumar is feared dead. "There was a loud noise," Viswashkumar told cousin Dhirendra Somabhai from his hospital bed. "The plane hung suspended mid-air. Then came the pilot's voice: 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!'" Dhirendra said Viswashkumar only remembers jumping through a door. "Nothing more." Video clips show him stumbling through debris, bloodied and dazed, shouting: "Plane fatyo che! Plane fatyo che! (The plane exploded)." Rescue workers and locals pulled him toward an ambulance. At the hospital, he cried out: "Where is my brother? Leave me alone. I don't want to talk. Can anyone tell me where he is?" Officials sealed off the ward around 2.30pm after he was identified. Gujarat ATS and Ahmedabad crime branch officers have restricted access since. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Portable Stairlifts Require No Installation in 2025 (Take a Look) Topicsift Learn More Undo The brothers had lived in London for 15 years, running a garment business in the UK while managing a fishing enterprise in Diu. They were among 15 residents of Diu's Bucharwada and Vanakbara on the flight. Ayub Mansuri, a family friend who drove them to the airport Thursday morning, said Viswashkumar's father in London called him with news of the crash. "I spoke to Viswash three times after the crash. Then his phone went dead," he said. "I hired an auto to get through roadblocks around the hospital. Viswash had head injuries and bruises." "On Wednesday night, we were all in Patelwadi," said Dhirendra. "Viswash told me, 'I don't know when we'll meet next.'" Diu additional district magistrate Vivek Kumar said all 15 passengers from the region have been identified. "One has survived. A team from the Diu administration has left for Ahmedabad," he said. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
