Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the lone survivor of the tragic Air India crash, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Ramesh, a British citizen of Indian origin, is currently undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the incident that claimed dozens of lives, including that of his older brother.
Ramesh had been flying with his 45-year-old sibling, Ajay Kumar Rakesh, when the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a student hostel belonging to BJ Medical College, located just three kilometers from the airport.
Speaking to the Prime Minister during their meeting, Ramesh recounted the terrifying moments of the crash.
“My brother was sitting a few rows away. He didn’t survive. I still can’t explain how I made it out alive,” he said.
He described the seconds leading up to the crash as chaotic and surreal.
“After takeoff, there was a strange pause, and then the plane suddenly dropped. It slammed into the building. I was on the opposite side of the impact, and somehow that gave me a narrow chance to escape.”
Despite his injuries, Ramesh managed to walk away from the wreckage and is now receiving medical care.
“It felt like everything was ending — the sound, the crash, the fire. I just happened to find a gap to crawl through.”
Prime Minister Modi also visited other injured passengers and students at the Civil Hospital. Many of them were medical students who had been inside the hostel dining hall at the time of the crash — around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday — when the aircraft struck the building with devastating force.
Rescue efforts continue at the scene as authorities work to identify victims and support families. The government has launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash, which is being described as one of the most serious aviation disasters India has witnessed in recent years.
