Ahmedabad Plane Crash: One survivor found in Air India flight, say police

The rescuers have found one survivor among the passengers of the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad this afternoon, according to the police.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said, “The police found one survivor in seat number 11A.”

Indian media outlets have identified the survivor as Vishwas Kumar Ramesh.

“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was loud noise…there were pieces of plane all around me…Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance,” Ramesh was quoted as saying.

Speaking to media, Vishwash, a British national, said, “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed.”

‘When I got up, there were bodies all around me...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,” he recalled.

Footage shared on social media showed a man that appears to be Vishwash limping away from the crash site and being led towards emergency services.

Vishwash was in India for a few days to visit his family. He was headed back to the UK with his brother.

The Air India flight AI171 had 242 passengers and crew members. Minutes after the takeoff, the flight crashed into a hostel of a medical college.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London Gatwick Airport when it lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:39pm and made a “Mayday” call indicating an emergency situation before disappearing from radar.

There are reports from Indian media outlets that the death toll exceeds 242.

Some media outlets say that close to 20 MBBS students died when the plane fell on the building.

Altogether, it is the biggest aviation disaster in India which has saddened everyone.

However, the government of India or the aviation ministry is yet to reveal the final details of the deceased.

The Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport crashed minutes after it took off. The pilot had given a Mayday call to the ATC but the signal was lost when ATC responded back.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was also on the flight but he is declared dead now. Shockingly, he was the second Gujarat CM to lose life in a plane crash.

Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat’s 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has expressed condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

In a post on ‘X’, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of many lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

“Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims of this tragic incident”, the Foreign Ministry added.

Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has expressed sadness over the plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Reacting to the incident, Modi, in a post on his X account, sympathized with everyone affected and vowed to assist those affected.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.

“It is heartbreaking beyond words,” Modi said.

The Indian Prime Minister also revealed that he has been in touch with Indian authorities, including Ministers who he said are working to assist those affected.

-With Agencies inputs