Police in India have confirmed one man has miraculously survived the tragic Air India plane crash which occurred earlier on Thursday.
Air India’s AI 171 flight was bound for London Gatwick, and was expected to touch down in the UK at 6:25 pm local time this evening.
However, the plane crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar after taking off from India’s Ahmedabad Airport.
Authorities have also confirmed that the aircraft crashed into a medical college hostel.
According to Air India, there were 242 passengers and crew members on board the plane. The airline said: “Of these, 169 are Indian nationals, 53 are British nationals, 1 Canadian national and 7 Portuguese nationals.”
While the police commissioner appeared to say there were no survivors, officials have since said one individual survived the shunt.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik told ANI: “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 passenger has since been identified as British-Indian man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, and he’s been speaking to the local press about the awful incident.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times newspaper, Ramesh recalled hearing a ‘loud noise’ shortly after the plane took over.
“It all happened so quickly,” he said. “When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me. Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
Ramesh was sat in 11A on the aircraft, while his brother – also on board – was seated in an entirely different row, Ramesh told the Hindustan Times.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India, has released a statement in recent hours, offering his condolences to those affected.
He said: “With profound sorrow I confirm that Air India flight, AI171 operating Ahmedabad London Gatwick was involved in a tragic accident today. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.
“At this moment, our primary focus is on supporting all the affected people and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist the emergency response teams at the site and to provide all necessary support and care to those impacted.
“Further updates will be shared as we receive more verified information. An emergency center has been activated and support team have been set up for families.”
