British national was flying home with brother, now missing after the crash
In the aftermath of Thursday’s devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, one survivor has emerged from the wreckage: 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national who had returned to India for a short visit with his family.
Ramesh, now recovering in the general ward of Civil Hospital, Asarwa, recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the crash that killed dozens.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,”
Vishwash told Hindustan Times, speaking from his hospital bed with injuries to his chest, eyes, and feet.
Survivor was traveling with his brother
The Gatwick-bound Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off at 1:39 PM on Thursday with 242 people onboard, including crew. It crashed within minutes and burst into flames. The aircraft was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
Vishwash said he was traveling with his 45-year-old brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, though the two were seated in different rows.
“We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,”
he said, visibly shaken.
“I stood up and ran”: Man describes chaos at crash site
Still clutching his boarding pass, Vishwash described the chaos he awoke to amid the twisted debris.
“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. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Vishwash has lived in London for 20 years with his wife and child and was on his way back to the UK after visiting India.
Families search for loved ones at the hospital
While Vishwash recovers, the corridors of Civil Hospital are filled with anxious relatives searching for missing loved ones. Among them are family members of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was also reportedly onboard.
Sailesh Mandliya, a former aide to Rupani, was seen at the hospital seeking information.
“We are looking for him. If you find out something, let me know,” Mandliya told media
