Latest news with #RameshVishwashkumar
Russia Today
10 hours ago
- General
- Russia Today
Air India disaster death toll climbs to 270
The death toll from the Air India crash on Thursday has risen to 270, making it one of the deadliest disasters of its kind in the country's history. The plane slammed into a medical college dormitory, leaving one survivor from the flight. Search and rescue workers recovered more bodies from the site late Friday, pushing the death toll higher, officials told media on Saturday. The authorities had earlier put the body count at 265. 'Around 270 bodies have been brought to the civil hospital so far from the plane crash site,' Dr. Dhaval Gamet at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad told reporters on Saturday. He added that the only survivor was still under observation for some of his wounds. In an interview with India's public broadcaster Doodarshan on Saturday, the survivor, 40-year-old UK national of Indian origin Ramesh Vishwashkumar said he 'jumped out' of the plans seconds after it crashed when he realized there was some space near his seat. He said he couldn't believe he'd made it out of the burning plane alive, even as he saw people dying around him. 'I Can't Believe I Came Out Of It Alive' - Air India Crash Sole Survivor Explains The Moment The Plane Started To Rip Apart & How He Managed His Miraculous EscapeVideo Courtesy: DD News # Families of the victims are still waiting to receive the bodies of their loved ones. A relative of several passengers who are believed to have died in the crash told RT on Friday that he had given his blood for DNA profiling upon arrival in Ahmedabad, but has not yet received any news about the deceased. 'I'm here since yesterday; I gave my blood test. So far there were no bodies of them,' he said. Doctors have been working without breaks to gather dental samples from the deceased to run identification checks and conduct DNA profiling, Hindustan Times reported. The process of handing over bodies has been slow because of the extent of the damage. 'Some of the bodies are charred beyond recognition,' one official told the newspaper. The flight, operated by Air India, had just taken off from Ahmedabad when it lost altitude and crashed into a medical college dormitory. Engine failure and poor visibility have been cited as possible factors, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Authorities from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation are examining flight data and cockpit recordings retrieved on Friday. Meanwhile, New Delhi's aviation regulator has asked Air India to carry out maintenance on its Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft immediately. These include a review of all take-off parameters and aircraft checks over the last two weeks, according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Narendra Modi visits plane crash site and meets sole survivor
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday morning to visit the site of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash that killed at least 290 people a day earlier. Just one passenger survived the crash on the London-bound flight, which had 242 people on board, including 12 crew members. The total death toll stands at 290, as the plane hit a hostel for doctors when it crashed, claiming additional lives. 'The scene of devastation is saddening,' Modi said in a post on X. 'Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath.' According to Air India, there were 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian national on board. After visiting the crash site, Modi went to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he met the lone survivor of the crash, Ramesh Vishwashkumar, a 38-year-old British citizen. Ahmedabad police said Vishwashkumar, who was sitting near the emergency exit, managed to jump off the plane. He is being treated for his injuries. '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,' Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times. 'Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.' ❗️PM Modi Visits Crash Site Of Air India Tragedy In Ahmedabad#AhmedabadPlaneCrashhttps:// Footage from the wreckage area on Thursday showed rescue efforts, with bodies being retrieved and injured individuals, many suffering from burns, being rushed to the nearby city civil hospital for treatment. Visited the crash site in Ahmedabad today. The scene of devastation is saddening. Met officials and teams working tirelessly in the aftermath. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their loved ones in this unimaginable tragedy. The cause of the crash is unclear but the pilot had issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff, Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said. Boeing, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years due to a series of safety and quality control issues. Most notably, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded globally between 2019 and 2020 following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.
