A British man has been discharged from the hospital after surviving a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India, that claimed the lives of 241 people. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, was the only survivor of the Air India Flight AI171, which crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport in Gujarat on Thursday.
Ramesh was seen in a video as a pallbearer at the funeral for his brother, Ajay, who was among those killed in the crash. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck a medical college hostel shortly after leaving the ground, resulting in at least 30 additional fatalities on the ground.
Air India has expressed its sorrow over the loss of passengers and crew and is in contact with the families of the deceased. Among the victims were 52 British nationals. The airline is working on repatriating the bodies to their home countries.
Ramesh was seated near the emergency exit and managed to escape the burning aircraft by jumping out through the emergency door. He described his experience from his hospital bed, sharing how he thought he would not survive.
The flight was headed to Gatwick and carried 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, along with 12 crew members.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Air India is cooperating with authorities and is reviewing issues related to engine thrust, flaps, and the landing gear, which remained down after takeoff. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered, which will aid investigators from the UK and US in determining the cause of the accident.
As families await news, many are anxious to collect the remains of their loved ones. Doctors are working to identify victims through dental samples and DNA profiling. Concerns have been raised about recent maintenance issues reported by Air India, prompting officials to urge the company to follow safety regulations closely.