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Ahmedabad, June 13: Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the 40-year-old British-Indian who miraculously survived the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad yesterday, shared his ordeal with the media today.

Prime Minster Narendra Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday and visited the site of the air crash, also met Vishwash. 

He was the only survivor of the Air India crash that claimed the lives of the other 241 people on board.  The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical college hostel just 33 seconds after takeoff on Thursday afternoon. 

Amid numerous videos from the scene, one showed a man walking away in a bloodstained shirt. He was later identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor and passenger of the ill-fated flight.

Who is Vishwash Kumar Ramesh?

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh is a 40-year-old British national who was visiting family in India. He was returning to the UK with his brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45. Vishwash was seated in 11A, while his brother occupied a different row on the plane.

“I do not know how I got saved. 30 seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” Vishwash said.

Still holding his Air India boarding pass, Vishwash recounted, "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."

New Delhi: At least five MBBS students, one PG resident doctor and the wife of a superspecialist doctor of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad were killed and over 60 medical students injured when an Air India plane crashed into the college complex, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) claimed.

The search operation at the crash site is still going on and many are feared buried in the debris, FAIMA national vice president Dr Divyansh Singh said. "Bodies that have been found were totally charred," he added.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed into the medical college complex and burst into a ball of fire moments after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, possibly killing almost everyone on board in one of the country's worst air disasters.

There were 242 people on board, including 12 crew members. Of the 230 passengers on board, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national, Air India said earlier in the day in a statement.

"As of now, at least five medical students, one PG resident doctor and the wife of a superspecialist doctor from the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad have been killed and over 60 medical students have been injured," Singh said.

"As per the information I have received so far, the plane after losing its balance crashed over the boys hostel building of the BJ Medical College. And as it was a lunch time most of the students and resident doctors were there for lunch," he said.

There was no official count of those killed even hours after the the crash.

As rescuers struggled to find survivors in the charred wreckage and pull out the injured, many of them with grievous burns, officials tried to assess the human magnitude of the disaster. Unofficial reports said up to 25 people in the medical complex could also have died.

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

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 of the doomed flight to London's Gatwick airport.

The Indian Medical Association expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives in the plane crash at Ahmedabad.

"We extend our heartfelt prayers for the speedy recovery of all those injured," the IMA said in a statement.

A team of doctors from the IMA, Gujarat branch assisted by the IMA-Medical Student Network has been promptly deployed to the incident site and City Hospital, Ahmedabad to assist in emergency medical care.

"IMA stands in solidarity with the families of the victims during this difficult time. We are committed to providing all possible medical support and coordinating with local authorities for relief efforts.

"This tragedy reminds us of the importance of rapid response and unified support in moments of national crisis," it said.

The Ahmedabad AI Flight Crash involving a state-of-the-art Boeing Dreamliner 787-8-a relatively new and technologically advanced aircraft — has once again raised serious concerns about aviation safety, particularly on routes between India and Gulf countries.

While the Dreamliner incident was unexpected, what worries expatriates even more is the routine operation of aging aircraft on Gulf sectors by Indian carriers, especially Air India Express. Many of these planes are reportedly plagued by frequent technical glitches, leading to prolonged delays-often exceeding 24 hours -leaving passengers stranded in foreign airports without proper accommodation, food or timely updates. 

The lack of adequate crisis management has repeatedly resulted in distressing chaos and mental agony for passengers.

Several such incidents have been reported recently, including:

* Air India Express flights from Dammam to Mangaluru,
* Dammam to Bengaluru,
* Dammam to Delhi
* ⁠Riyadh to Mumbai
* ⁠Abudhabi to Mangaluru, and so on. 

These incidents have not only caused widespread inconvenience but also raised serious questions about the airline’s preparedness and accountability.

Taking note of the mounting distress, Riyadh-based social worker and pro-bono lawyer, P.A. Hameed Padubidri, stepped forward to represent affected passengers. In a significant move, a legal notice was served recently by a Saudi lady lawyer, Adv. Faten Al-Ahmari, based on complaints submitted by Hameed Padubidri. The notice addresses the recurring delays, technical shortcomings, and inadequate support mechanisms of Air India Express. 

Hameed Padubidri has also escalated the matter to the Indian Union Minister for Civil Aviation and other concerned authorities.

Given the gravity of the situation, NRIs across the Gulf — especially in Saudi Arabia-are strongly urging the Indian government and airline authorities to end the outdated aircraft operations-especially AirIndia Express-on Gulf routes. They emphasize that passenger safety must take precedence over operational convenience or cost-cutting.

The lives of the NRIs-residing in various gulf countries & Middle East-should not be compromised by the operation of aging, outdated and under-maintained aircraft. 

It is high time that the authorities take this matter seriously and implement systemic reforms to ensure safer, more reliable air travel for the millions of Indian expatriates who continue to contribute significantly to both Indian and Gulf economies.

Hameed Padubidri says: “Every time Air India Express delays in Saudi Arabia, the airline cites technical glitches. Passengers are often boarded, made to sit for hours — sometimes without air conditioning — and then asked to deboard. This causes severe distress.”

“There were even cases where the aircraft taxied on the runway, only to return and park again. This clearly reflects poor aircraft performance and mismanagement.

The aviation authorities and Government of India must urgently act — replace aging aircraft and ensure safer, more reliable service.”