British Man Miraculously Survives Air India Crash That Killed 290

A British national miraculously survived the Air India flight AI171 disaster, in which a Boeing 787 crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad to London, killing at least 290 people, according to his family.

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was found in seat 11A with minor injuries following Thursday’s crash. His brother Ajay, who was also on the plane, remains missing and is presumed dead.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 passengers and crew, plummeted into a medical college residential building, killing dozens on the ground as well.

Ongoing Investigation

The cause of the crash remains undetermined. According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), 53 British nationals were on board, and UK experts have been dispatched to assist Indian authorities in the investigation.

So far, Ramesh is the only passenger confirmed to have survived, though search efforts continue. Speaking to local media, he described the terrifying moments:

"Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise, and then the plane went down. Everything happened so fast. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I panicked, ran, and someone put me in an ambulance."

Scenes of Devastation

Images from the scene show wreckage scattered across the area, including parts of the fuselage, landing gear, and the plane’s tail embedded in the college building. Videos on social media show Ramesh walking away from the wreckage with minor injuries—he had been seated near an emergency exit.

This marks the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its debut in 2011. The crashed aircraft had been delivered to Air India in January 2014.

Reactions

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran called the incident "a devastating event." Meanwhile, King Charles III expressed his shock, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the government remains in close contact with Indian authorities:

"Our hearts go out to the victims’ families. This is an unimaginable tragedy."

Air India, which has faced operational challenges in recent years, underwent restructuring after being acquired by the Tata Group in 2022.