Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor of the tragic Air India plane crash, who is currently recovering in an Ahmedabad hospital. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, recounted the terrifying moments of the crash during his meeting with the Prime Minister.
Ramesh had been travelling with his elder brother, Ajay Kumar Rakesh, 45, who sadly did not survive. Sharing his ordeal with PM Modi, Ramesh said, “My brother was sitting in a different row and didn’t survive. I still don’t know how I managed to survive.”
He continued, “For a moment, I thought I would die. I saw everything — the loud noise, the crash, the fire. Somehow, I found a small way to escape.”
Reflecting on the incident, Ramesh described what happened just before impact: “After takeoff, the plane seemed to stop for a second. Then it suddenly dived and crashed into the building. I was sitting on the opposite side of where the plane hit, which saved my life.”
Despite suffering injuries, Ramesh managed to walk away from the wreckage. He mentioned that he is receiving proper medical care.
During his visit to Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, PM Modi also met other injured individuals, many of whom were students from BJ Medical College. The hostel that was struck by the aircraft housed several MBBS students, who had very little time to react when the crash occurred.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday. The plane slammed into the BJ Medical College hostel in Meghaninagar, just three kilometers from the airport.
The accident took place around 1:30 pm, right when students were gathered in the hostel dining hall for lunch.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams working round the clock to locate victims and identify bodies. The process of handing over remains to families has begun, even as investigators comb the crash site for clues behind one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent times.