A British passenger who survived Thursday’s devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad has described the terrifying moments when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down just 30 seconds after takeoff, killing 241 others on board.
Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, was seated in 11A when Flight AI171 crashed into the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College complex. The sole survivor of one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters now lies in a hospital bed, recounting how he walked away from wreckage that claimed the lives of 230 passengers and 12 crew members.
British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, 40, who was seated in 11A, survived the crash with impact injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet. According to Hindustan Times, Ramesh described hearing a loud noise just 30 seconds after takeoff before the plane crashed.
“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,” Ramesh told reporters from his hospital bed. The British passenger, who had been visiting family in India, was traveling with his brother Ajay, whose fate remains unknown.
The crash devastated the medical college campus, striking student hostels and staff quarters. BBC reported that at least five medical students were killed when the plane hit the building and burst into flames. The aircraft crashed during lunchtime when many students were in the canteen.
Dr. Meenkashi Parekh, the hospital’s dean, told BBC that 10 to 12 students were trapped due to thick smoke after the building caught fire. The plane’s tail section was found embedded in one of the hostel buildings, with debris scattered across a wide area.
The flight carried passengers from multiple countries, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, according to Associated Press reporting.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that UK investigators would travel to India to assist with the investigation. King Charles III expressed his “deepest sympathies” to all affected families across multiple nations.
This crash marks the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft’s introduction in 2009. The wide-body aircraft had established a strong safety record with more than 1,000 units delivered to airlines worldwide.
India’s aviation regulatory body confirmed the aircraft issued a mayday call shortly after takeoff but lost contact with air traffic control before crashing just outside the airport perimeter. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it would assist Indian authorities in the investigation.
India’s worst aviation disaster occurred in 1996 when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided with a Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft, killing all 349 people aboard both planes. The most recent major crash was in 2020 when an Air India Express Boeing 737 skidded off a runway, killing 21 people.
The Tata Group, which owns Air India, announced it would provide one crore rupees (approximately £86,000) to families of each victim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “heartbreaking beyond words.”
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