Air India crash: Lone survivor cheats death after miraculous escape, says 'there were bodies all around'

The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad had one miracle survivor, while 241 others on board were killed, reported ANI quoting Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik. Earlier Malik had said that possibility of any of the passengers surviving was unlikely.

Speaking to ANI on a phone call, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said, "The police found one survivor in seat 11A. One survivor has been found in the hospital and is under treatment. Cannot say anything about the number of deaths yet. The death toll may increase as the flight crashed in a residential area."

The survivor, who is undergoing treatment, has been identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British national who was returning to London after Gujarat visit. Reports claim that he was sitting on Seat 11A, and was rescued by the police following the crash.

"There were bodies all around me, there were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance," Ramesh was quoted by News18 as saying.

#WATCH | Ahmedabad Plane Crash | Union Home Minister Amit Shah meets with the injured, including one injured person who appears to be the lone survivor of the ill-fated flight AI171 that crashed earlier today. pic.twitter.com/t84YyoyseO
ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025

According to a Hindustan Times report, Vishwash is undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital, Asarwa in Ahmedabad and has received “impact injuries” on his chest, eyes and feet.

He was travelling along with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh (45). Vishwash said trouble started within 30 seconds of the flight takeoff, adding that "it all happened so quickly."

According to Air India, of the 230 passengers, 169 were Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. The other 12 were two pilots and 10 crew members.

PHOTO | Ahmedabad plane crash: Union Home Minister Amit Shah (@AmitShah) meets lone survivor Ramesh Viswash Kumar, a British national, at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.#AhmedabadPlaneCrash #PlaneCrash(Source: Third party) pic.twitter.com/9CVP8O8GQY Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025

The pilot of the twin-engine wide bodied aircraft issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after takeoff at 1.39 pm, the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad said.

The search was also on for the aircraft's black box -- the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder -- for clues to understand what happened in the last crucial moments.

The 11-year-old aircraft could be seen from miles away, losing altitude rapidly and combusting in a fiery blaze that sent plumes of thick black smoke spiralling up in the air.

The aircraft climbed just about 600-800 feet before plummeting to the ground almost immediately, aviation sources said.