Air India Plane Crash Claims 270 Lives

A British passenger, Viswash Kumar Ramesh, is believed to be the sole survivor of Air India flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff en route to London. Ramesh, seated in 11A by an exit, described the plane seeming to “stand still” moments after takeoff before crashing into a building housing medical students. He escaped through a gap after his door broke, sustaining burns and multiple injuries but is stable; his brother, seated next to him, is missing. The crash killed most on board and also struck parts of B.J. Medical College, killing at least five students and injuring nearly 50 people. One of the aircraft’s black boxes has been recovered to aid the investigation. Air India’s parent, Tata Group, pledged compensation of 1 crore rupees (about $116,000) to families of the deceased and coverage of medical expenses for the injured.

Recovery teams in Ahmedabad, India, have raised the death toll from Thursday’s Air India Boeing 787 crash to at least 270, including 241 onboard and at least 29 on the ground; one passenger, British national Viswash Kumar Ramesh, survived and is stable. The jet struck a medical college hostel minutes after takeoff for London. Authorities are expediting DNA identification amid families’ frustrations, as most remains are unrecognizable. Investigators recovered the flight data recorder and began analysis to determine causes, examining factors like flap settings, engine performance, and weight/temperature calculations. A government high-level committee will also review emergency procedures. This is the first fatal crash of a 787 in its 16 years of service.

A 40-year-old British passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, was the sole survivor of an Air India Boeing 787 crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London. Seated in 11A near an emergency exit, he escaped through a gap after the door broke, sustaining burns and multiple injuries but is out of danger. Experts noted his proximity to the exit likely aided survival, though they cautioned seat location doesn’t universally determine survivability. The plane reportedly crash-landed into a building housing medical students.

Viswashkumar Ramesh, the only survivor of Air India Flight 171 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick, called his survival a “miracle” and described waking up surrounded by bodies. The Boeing 787-8 carried 242 people; authorities report 241 fatalities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ramesh, and Air India offered condolences, focusing on support for victims’ families. Boeing’s CEO expressed sympathy and pledged cooperation with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

The son of 79-year-old Manju Mahesh Patel, who died in the Air India crash in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off en route to London Gatwick, says he will relive her final moments for the rest of his life and hopes her death was painless. Patel, a devoted grandmother doing temple charity work in Ahmedabad, was seated one row behind the flight’s sole survivor. Her son, Chirag, expressed grief over her unfulfilled plans to see her grandchildren and anger at what he called poor communication and support from Air India, declining to fly with the airline to India to provide a DNA sample for identification. Air India announced interim compensation of ₹25 lakh (about £21,000) in addition to previously pledged support, and said caregivers and safety checks are in place as investigators analyze the recovered black box. Memorials are also being held for other victims, including a Derby doctor and his family.

Air India Flight 171 crashed seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London, reaching only about 650 feet before “sinking” and impacting a nearby medical college, killing at least 270 people with only one survivor. Investigators recovered the flight data recorder and are searching for the cockpit voice recorder to determine whether mechanical failure, human error, or both caused the crash; officials say the pilots had virtually no time to recover. The article profiles the two pilots: Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, 55, a reserved caregiver to his elderly father who was considering early retirement, and First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, a humble, recently advanced pilot from a devout family. Families await DNA identification of remains, with only 35 victims identified by Sunday.

Indian officials say extreme heat from the Air India Flight 171 crash—reaching about 1,500°C—has severely damaged remains, making DNA identification arduous. Of 270 confirmed dead (241 passengers and crew, plus victims on the ground), only 35 bodies had been released by Sunday, with hundreds of DNA samples from relatives requiring laborious one-to-one matching. Authorities are releasing remains under tight security, often instructing families not to open coffins. One passenger survived. Families of people caught on the ground remain listed as missing, compounding grief as they wait outside Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital for identifications, including relatives of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who was confirmed dead via DNA.