A British man has walked away from the wreckage of the Air India crash that killed 241 people in an extraordinary tale of survival. Vishwashkumar Ramesh was in seat 11A on the London-bound Boeing 787 flight when it crashed shortly after take off in Ahmedabad, western India. Mr Ramesh’s brother, Nayan Kumar Ramesh, told BBC News Vishwashkumar “has no idea how he survived” and escaped the plane as the only survivor. Air India said all other passengers and crew were killed – including 169 Indian nationals and 52 Britons.
Nayan told the BBC “it feels great seeing him [Vishwashkumar] doing well” but he was worried about his other brother Ajay, who was also onboard.
“We were all in shock as soon as we heard what happened, just utter shock. Speechless,” he said. “He [Vishwashkumar] himself has no idea how he survived, how he got out the plane. “When he called us he was just more worried about my other brother, like ‘Find Ajay, find Ajay.’ That’s all he cares about at the moment.”
A relative called Jay told the PA news agency: “He’s got some injuries on his face. He was painted in blood. He’s doing well I think. It’s a big shock.” Video shared on social media showed Mr Ramesh walking towards an ambulance, with smoke billowing in the background. He was later seen in a hospital bed meeting Indian interior minister Amit Shah. Dr Dhaval Gameti, who treated Mr Ramesh, said: “He was disorientated, with multiple injuries all over his body. But he seems to be out of danger.” Indian media said he shared his boarding pass, which showed his name and seat number. The businessman, who was born in India and has lived in the UK since 2003, has a wife and four-year-old son.
In a statement from the King, he said he and his wife were “desperately shocked by the terrible events in Ahmedabad this morning”. “Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the families who were going to be “absolutely devastated by this awful news”, while his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said it was “heart-breaking beyond words”.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has arranged crisis teams in India and the UK, and has chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee in response to the crash.
London Gatwick Airport confirmed that a reception centre for relatives of passengers was being set up where information would be provided, and that it was liaising closely with Air India.
