A catastrophic Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad has left a single survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, a 39-year-old British national of Indian origin, amidst a devastating loss of life. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route to London with 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a residential area in Meghani Nagar near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport shortly after takeoff at 1:47 p.m. on Thursday. Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Gyanender Singh Malik confirmed Ramesh, seated in row 11A, as the only known survivor, while Gujarat government sources echoed that no others have been identified alive.
The plane issued a MAYDAY call before losing contact with air traffic control and plummeted, erupting into flames upon impact. Videos online captured the fireball and thick black smoke that hindered rescue efforts near a medical college hostel. Ramesh, found injured among the debris, recounted the horror to reporters: “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed,” he said, noting the rapid sequence of events that left bodies scattered around him. Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who treated Ramesh, told that he is stable despite multiple injuries, having been ejected from the split aircraft before a massive explosion.
The crash claimed notable figures, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Ramesh, traveling with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, expressed grief over his sibling’s absence, saying, “I can’t find him anymore.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who met Ramesh in the hospital, noted his survival as a rare positive amid the tragedy.
