**Air India Crash Survivor Speaks Out on Horrific Ordeal as Death Toll Rises**
In the aftermath of the catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, harrowing testimonies are emerging from the sole British survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. Speaking from his hospital bed, Mr Ramesh recounted in vivid detail the chaotic moments as the aircraft plunged into a building and erupted in flames, leaving devastation in its wake. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 242 people on board, crashed into a medical college shortly after take-off on Thursday, claiming the lives of all other passengers and casting a dark shadow over the global aviation community.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first government officials to visit the scene and meet with Mr Ramesh, highlighting the gravity of an incident that has shocked both India and the United Kingdom. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed that consular assistance is being provided to Mr Ramesh, who is now at the centre of an international tragedy that has left families around the world grieving.
Describing the moments leading up to the disaster in an interview with DD News, the 40-year-old survivor admitted he still struggles to comprehend his own survival. “When the flight took off, it felt strange – like the plane was stuck, not gaining altitude,” he recalled. Warning signs flickered through the cabin in the form of green and white lights before, with a sudden jolt, “it slammed into a building and exploded.” Ramesh, seated in 11A beside an emergency exit, said his first instinct was disbelief, thinking he too had perished in the crash. “When I opened my eyes and looked around, I realised I was alive,” he said, a moment that quickly turned to horror as he witnessed victims dying nearby, including cabin crew and fellow passengers.
Despite the devastation around him, Mr Ramesh managed to unbuckle his seatbelt, locate a gap in the shattered fuselage, and crawl out. “I don’t know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes – the hostesses, the passengers near me… I walked out of the rubble,” he related, still visibly in shock during the interview. He clarified that he had not jumped from the plane, but had regained consciousness inside and escaped through an opening.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with aircraft experts considering multiple theories – including potential double engine failure due to bird strike, or possible issues with wing flap settings during ascent. The black box was recovered within 28 hours, according to India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, and international teams have begun to arrive to assist the inquiry. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board of the United States, alongside Boeing and GE Aerospace representatives, are en route to India, though US officials have stated it is too soon to consider grounding the Dreamliner fleet.
The list of victims continues to grow, with at least five medical students confirmed dead and roughly 50 others injured, both passengers and those on the ground. Among them were Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa, and their four-year-old daughter Sara from Gloucester. Local community leaders described the family as much loved, with residents left “heartbroken” as they await formal confirmation of their loss. Tributes have also been paid to Britons Fiongal and Jamie Greenlaw-Meek, spiritual wellness practitioners, and Dr Prateek Joshi, remembered for his warmth and enthusiasm.
Support for grieving families has been forthcoming, with Tata Group, Air India’s parent company, pledging compensation of 10 million Indian rupees (approx £86,000) to the relatives of the deceased, as well as commitments to fund medical care for survivors and rehabilitate the affected medical college. Special assistance centres have been set up at Gatwick, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad airports to provide information and support.
Photographs from the scene present a stark picture – fragments of the aircraft embedded in the infrastructure of BJ Medical College, with investigators and emergency workers sifting through debris for answers. Air India’s chief executive Campbell Wilson visited the site but declined to give information to media, citing the ongoing nature of the probe.
The FCDO has fielded nearly 300 separate calls from concerned relatives in the UK and continues to urge British nationals in need of help to contact their emergency hotline. As the investigation unfolds, families, friends, and entire communities are left to process the enormity of the loss, while the only survivor continues his recovery and comes to terms with the tragedy that unfolded before his eyes.
As questions mount over aviation safety and possible failure points, the crash stands as a sombre reminder of the risks inherent in modern air travel – and the remarkable, sometimes inexplicable chance of survival against the odds.