Latest news with #NayanKumarRamesh
The Independent
16 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Family of sole Air India crash survivor speak out after ‘miracle' escape
Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is the sole survivor of the Air India plane crash that killed 241 passengers. Nayan Kumar Ramesh, Vishwash's brother, reported that Vishwash called their father immediately after the crash. Vishwash inquired about his younger brother Ajay, who was also on the flight from Ahmedabad, Nayan said. The family considers Vishwash's survival a 'miracle', while mourning the loss of Ajay. Watch the video in full above.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
First "black box" reportedly found at Air India crash site
Ahmedabad, India — There were reports Friday that at least one of the so-called "black boxes" — the flight data and cockpit voice recorders — from Air India flight 171 had been recovered from the charred wreckage left in India's western city of Ahmedabad when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner slammed into buildings, killing all but one of the 242 people on the plane and dozens on the ground. The data recorders will be vital to investigators as they try to figure out what caused the passenger jet to crash just minutes after it took off from Ahmedabad for London's Gatwick Airport. "Directorate General of Civil Aviation team have recovered one black box from the crash site," the French news agency AFP quoted a senior state police officer as saying Friday. They did not say whether it was believed to be the flight data or cockpit voice recorder. The tragedy was captured Thursday on video from multiple angles. CCTV images show the moment the ill-fated Air India flight took off for what should have been a nine-and-a-half-hour trip to London. But just seconds later, the Boeing is seen starting to slow down. The two pilots on the aircraft issued a mayday call, but it was too late. The plane, with no fire or damage visible, careens into accommodation buildings used by medical students and then bursts into an inferno. Rescue workers scoured the site for survivors and, miraculously, one man, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who had been in seat 11a on the Air India flight, right next to his brother, walked away from the crash site with only minor injuries. Nayan Kumar Ramesh, another brother back in England, described the moment the family heard from Vishwash. "He video called my dad as he crashed, saying, 'Our plane's crashed… I don't know where my brother is. I don't see any other passengers. I don't know how I'm alive. How I exited the plane." Nayan said his brother's primary concern was for their other sibling, who has remained officially missing since the crash. It was India's worst aviation disaster in more than 25 years. U.S. and British authorities were quickly sent to assist with the investigation, as more than 50 of those killed from the plane were U.K. nationals and the aircraft was made in the U.S. Forensic teams were at the scene of the crash on Friday, along with various Indian officials, and ambulances, ready to transport the remains of victims. Indian officials were cited by local media as saying that, given the level of the destruction, DNA testing would be required to confirm the final death toll both from the plane and from the buildings at the site. CBS News saw members of one family begging authorities for access to the site. Ravi Thakur hadn't heard anything from his mother, who served food at the residential building that the plane crashed into, since the disaster. She was caring for his 2-year-old daughter, and both of them were missing. "We have only one hope that they survive," Thakur told CBS News. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to inspect the site, and he described the accident as "heartbreaking beyond words." Video shows Air India plane crashing in Ahmedabad Air India plane crashes shortly after takeoff, carrying more than 240 people An accused woman skips her pedicure, kills her ex-husband
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Brother says British survivor called his father moments after the Air India crash
The brother of the lone passenger to survive the Air India crash that killed at least 240 people Thursday has called his escape a "miracle." Nayan Kumar Ramesh told Sky News that his brother, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, called his father in Leicester moments after the crash, to say he had survived.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash death toll could rise
It is one of the deadliest plane crashes in terms of the number of British nationals killed and the first involving a 787. There are fears the number of people killed on the ground could rise. Read More: Images taken after the incident showed debris from the plane embedded in the BJ Medical College building. At least five medical students were killed and about 50 injured. Briton Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, is believed to be the only survivor of the crash. He was in seat 11A, next to one of the aircraft's emergency exits. 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'.' British couple Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, who run a spiritual wellness centre, were said to be among the dead. Mr Greenlaw-Meek appeared on ITV's This Morning earlier this year, and former editor of the show Martin Frizell praised his 'vibrancy' and 'enthusiasm'. 'So so sad to hear that Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek and his partner are reported to be among the passengers and crew killed today on board the Air India flight bound for Gatwick,' he said in an Instagram post. Firefighters work at the site of a plane that crashed in Ahmedabad (Image: Ajit Solanki/AP) 'I remember his visit to the studio in January, he was passionate about auras and although I'm a sceptical sort his vibrancy and sheer enthusiasm won folk over.' The Gloucester Muslim Community group offered 'sincere and deepest condolences' after Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa and their daughter Sara were reported to be among the victims. 'During this moment of overwhelming sorrow, our hearts go out to all those left behind,' a statement said. 'No words can truly ease the pain of such a profound loss, but we pray that the family may find solace in the tremendous outpouring of compassion and solidarity from communities across the world.' Aviation experts have speculated about a number of possible causes for the crash, from both engines failing – possibly due to a bird strike, as happened in the so-called Miracle on the Hudson in 2009 – to the flaps on the aircraft's wings not being set to the correct position for take-off. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and a local hospital on Friday morning. 'The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words. Condolences to all the bereaved families,' he wrote in a post on X. 'We understand their pain and also know that the void left behind will be felt for years to come.' Footage posted to Mr Modhi's official YouTube channel showed him examining the crash site and interacting with victims in hospital. Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson visited the area, according to the BBC,but did not take questions from media. Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of each of those killed in the crash. The company said it would also cover the medical costs of the injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college. Air India has set up friends and relatives assistance centres at Gatwick, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad airports to provide support in the wake of AI171's crash. 'These centres are facilitating the travel of family members to Ahmedabad,' the airline said in a post on X. UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed US teams from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were also headed to India with support from Boeing and GE Aerospace. He told reporters it was 'way too premature' to ground Boeing 737s in the aftermath of the crash. 'They have to get on the ground and take a look,' he said. 'People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place.' The King said he was 'desperately shocked' and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was in constant contact with Indian authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.
News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
‘Happened so quickly': British sole survivor in Air India crash reveals brother also onboard
The sole survivor of a horrific Air India crash has tragically revealed that his brother was also travelling with him on the flight, which claimed the lives of more than 200 onboard. British citizen and father of one Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 42, miraculously walked away from the wreckage with minor injuries, telling local media his older brother Ajay was also on the flight a few rows away. 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' Mr Ramesh told the Hindustan Times. 'When I got up, there were bodies all around me. 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. '[My brother] was travelling with me and I can't find him anymore.' A third brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, spoke to the BBC from his home after speaking to Vishwash. 'When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like 'Find Ajay, find Ajay,' Nayan said. 'That's all he cares about at the moment.' 'It feels great seeing him [Vishwashkumar] doing well' but he was worried about his other brother Ajay, who was also onboard. 'We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened, just utter shock. Speechless.' The Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787, was carrying 242 passengers when it crashed and exploded into flames just seconds after taking off from an airport in India's western city of Ahmedabad bound for London Gatwick. Authorities have confirmed that just one passenger survived the crash. Mr Ramesh received injuries to his chest, eyes and feet. A relative told media in Leicester, UK, Mr Ramesh had told them that he had 'no idea how I exited the plane'. Mr Ramesh 'got some injuries on his face. He was pretty much covered in blood – that's what his dad said', a relative called Jay said. On board flight AI171 were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian, according to the airline. The aeroplane crashed soon after takeoff into a residential neighbourhood hitting a hotel for doctors. Authorities have said at least 50 medical students who were in the building are being treated in hospital.
