A British man in his 40s miraculously survived the passenger plane crash near Ahmedabad Airport in India and walked out of the crash site to board a rescue vehicle.
According to local media including the Hindustan Times on the 12th, a British national named Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, 40, was rescued from the crash site near Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, western India. He was a passenger on Air India Flight AI 171 in seat 11A, found clutching his boarding pass. He was born in India but is reported to have lived in London, England, for 20 years.
Vishwas was in India for a few days with his brother Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45, and was on his way back to England, but the status of Ajay, who was seated in a different area, has yet to be confirmed. Vishwas is reported to have escaped the aircraft despite his injuries.
Vishwas is currently receiving treatment in the hospital for injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, he said, "Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and the plane crashed. Everything happened so quickly," adding, "When I got up, I saw bodies lying around. It was horrifying. I stood up and ran, and debris was everywhere. Please help me find my brother." He was quoted as saying he "doesn't remember" the escape process.
The crash occurred around 1:39 p.m. when the passenger plane, which had taken off, went into a steep descent and collided with a building housing medical students in the Megani Nagar area east of the airport, engulfed in a massive fireball. The aircraft had 242 people on board, including crew and passengers: 169 from India, 53 from the United Kingdom, 7 from Portugal, and 1 from Canada. Reports indicate that about ten children and infants were also on the flight.
So far, the official death toll reported by authorities stands at 294. This includes passengers of the aircraft and residents of the crash area. Many medical students who were staying in the building struck by the aircraft are also said to have perished.