‘Could Not Believe What I Saw, Just Started Running’: Sole Known Survivor Aboard Air India Flight 171

Ahmedabad: In the lead-up to take-off, nothing about 40-year-old Vishwas Kumar Ramesh's Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London seemed out-of-routine. But everything changed moments after its wheels went up off the ground. Within the next 30 seconds, the plane had crashed into the city.

Even as scores are believed to be dead and Vibes of India still awaits the official death toll of the tragedy on Thursday (June 12), the only positive aspect of the day was watching Ramesh walk out of the flame-engulfed Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

Ramesh walked away with minor injuries. He is right now admitted at the civil hospital where he is being administered primary aid.

“I believe in God … I am still waiting for my brother, who was traveling with me,” Vishwas said.

“Thirty seconds after the plane took off, there was a loud noise, and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” said the 40-year-old, one of the few survivors – or perhaps only survivor – of the ill-fated Air India flight 171 that crashed soon after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at about 1:38 pm on Thursday.

There were 242 people, including ten crew members, aboard the aircraft. There is no official confirmation about the number of dead and some bodies are yet to be recovered. City police chief G.S. Malik has confirmed that 204 bodies were recovered.

The plane crashed in a busy area of Ahmedabad, impacting the campus of the B.J. Medical College in the city's Meghaninagar area.

At least five medical students who were having lunch in their hostel canteen in the medical college have died. Another 20 have been admitted to the civil hospital with burn injuries.

Several residents in the hospital campus who are related to doctors and paramedical staff are also believed to be dead.

Among those on board the flight included former Gujarat chief minister and BJP leader Vijay Rupani. Members of the Union cabinet have confirmed his death in the incident.

There were 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese citizens and one Canadian citizen in the aircraft. The rest were Indian nationals.

The dead include the pilot Sumit Sabharwal, who had experience of about 8,700 flight hours.

Allotted seat 11A, Ramesh, a British national, now lies in the general ward of the Civil Hospital, having received “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes and feet; he had in fact walked into the hospital after he was brought there in an ambulance.

Ramesh was in India for a few days to visit his family and was going back to the UK along with his brother, 45-year-old Ajay Kumar.

He said that when he got up after the crash, all he could see around him were corpses.

“I could not believe what I saw. I just stood up and started running. 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,” said Ramesh, who is reported to have leapt out of the aircraft's emergency exit.

He said he had lived in London for 20 years, adding that his wife and child too live there. “They were scared but now know that I am alive. I am sad for all who have lost their lives,” Ramesh said.

Though the two brothers had requested to sit together, due to high occupancy and last-minute requests, they were seated separately. Ramesh was in seat 11A.

He said his brother Ajay was seated in a different row in the plane. “We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.

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