A black box has been retrieved from the wreckage of the Air India passenger plane that crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad, India, yesterday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 265 lives both on board and on the ground.
Rescue teams, accompanied by sniffer dogs, are scouring the crash site of the aircraft, which was en route to London shortly after departure.
Miraculously, one man aboard the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was carrying 242 passengers and crew members, survived the crash, leaving part of the aircraft’s tail hanging out of the second floor of a nearby medical staff hostel.
Air India confirmed that the sole survivor, identified as British national of Indian heritage Vishwash Kumar Ramesh by local media, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
The plane crashed less than a minute after takeoff, around lunchtime, just after climbing barely 100 meters from the ground.
The aircraft issued a mayday call and “crashed immediately after takeoff,” according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai stated that 265 bodies have been counted so far, indicating at least 24 fatalities on the ground; however, the toll may rise as more remains are recovered.
“The official count of the deceased will only be declared after DNA testing is completed,” Home Minister Amit Shah stated, adding that “families with relatives abroad have already been informed and their DNA samples will be taken.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the devastated area where Air India flight 171 crashed, referred to the incident as “heartbreaking beyond words.”
He met Mr. Ramesh in the hospital, the only survivor of the crash.
Mr. Ramesh expressed disbelief at his survival as he recalled his escape through a broken emergency exit.
“I can’t believe that I survived. For a moment, I thought I was also going to die,” the 40-year-old Ramesh told Indian state broadcaster DD News from his hospital bed.
“When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive, and I tried to unbuckle myself from my seat and escape through any opening I could find. I witnessed the air hostess and others perish right before my eyes.”
He was traveling with his brother Ajay, who was seated in a different section of the plane, according to family members.
“The side of the plane I was sitting on landed safely, allowing me to see that there was space outside. When my exit door broke, I made a beeline for it and escaped,” Mr. Ramesh recalled.
“The opposite side was obstructed by a building wall, trapping anyone who might have been there.”
The 40-year-old British national, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is the sole survivor of the crash (courtesy: The Hindustan Times)
Mr. Ramesh sustained burns and bruises and is currently under observation, according to an official at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.
“His escape … without severe injuries, is nothing short of a miracle. He is aware of that and is understandably shaken by the trauma,” the official stated.
Mr. Ramesh mentioned that the plane appeared to pause midair for a few moments after takeoff, with the green and white cabin lights illuminating.
He noted that he could sense the engine thrust escalating but shortly after, the plane “plummeted with speed into the hostel.”
At his family home in Leicester, central England, Ramesh’s cousin Hiren Kantilal revealed they had spoken with him via video call that morning, with relatives hastily trying to make arrangements to travel to India.
In response to inquiries about Mr. Ramesh’s brother, Mr. Kantilal stated: “Words cannot express our heartbreak; we are utterly devastated.”
The airline reported that the flight had 169 Indian passengers, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and a Canadian on board, alongside 12 crew members.
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In Ahmedabad, bereaved relatives of passengers gathered today at an emergency center to provide DNA samples for identification of their loved ones.
Ashfaque Nanabawa, 40, mentioned he had come to search for his cousin Akeel Nanabawa, who was aboard with his wife and three-year-old daughter. He shared that they had spoken with his cousin just before takeoff.
“He called us, saying: ‘I am on the plane and everything is fine.’ That was his last call.”
Ahmedabad, the primary city in Gujarat state, is home to around eight million residents and its busy airport is flanked by densely populated residential districts.
US manufacturer Boeing stated it is in communication with Air India and is “prepared to offer support” following the incident, which a source close to the case noted is the first crash involving a 787 Dreamliner.
Both UK and US air accident investigation agencies announced they would be sending teams to assist their Indian counterparts.
Tata Group, which owns Air India, has pledged financial aid of 10 million rupees (€101,000) to “the families of each person who has lost their life in this tragedy,” in addition to funds to cover the medical expenses of those injured.
India has experienced several tragic air crashes, including a 1996 disaster involving two jets colliding mid-air over New Delhi, which claimed nearly 350 lives.
In 2010, an Air India Express jet crashed and ignited upon landing at Mangalore airport in southwestern India, resulting in 158 fatalities among 166 passengers and crew aboard.
Experts have stated it is too early to speculate on the cause of yesterday’s crash.
India’s airline industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, with Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recently describing it as “nothing short of phenomenal.”
The nation’s economic boom has positioned India, with its 1.4 billion population, as the world’s fourth-largest air market (both domestic and international), with IATA predicting it will become the third largest within the decade.
