Confusion swirls as Indian media reports Vishwash Kumar Ramesh ‘walked away’ from fireball – but officials insist there are NO survivors among 242 dead
Extraordinary claims have emerged that a British national survived the catastrophic Air India plane crash in India – even as police officials maintain that all 242 people on board perished in the disaster.
Indian media outlets are reporting that Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 38-year-old British citizen who has lived in London for 20 years, miraculously walked away from the burning wreckage of Flight AI171 after it crashed just minutes after takeoff on Thursday.
But in a stunning contradiction, Ahmedabad’s Police Commissioner G.S. Malik told international news agencies including Reuters and the Associated Press: “It appears there are no survivors in the plane crash.”
The conflicting reports have sparked confusion and anguish for families desperately seeking news of their loved ones, as authorities struggle to provide clarity on whether anyone could have survived the devastating crash that has been confirmed as the first-ever fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The survivor’s incredible story
According to reports in the Hindustan Times and other Indian media outlets, Ramesh told reporters from his hospital bed that he heard a “loud noise” just 30 seconds after the London-bound flight took off from Ahmedabad.
It all happened so quickly,” the British national reportedly said, describing how he sustained “impact injuries” to his chest, eyes and feet in the crash.
In a harrowing account, he claimed: “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,” he told Indian media.
Dramatic footage emerges
Video footage shared widely on Indian social media appears to show a bloodied man in a white shirt – identified by local media as Ramesh – limping away from the crash site with blood running down his face as crowds help him toward an ambulance.
The man, who was reportedly seated in 11A, can be seen being assisted by emergency workers in what would be an almost miraculous escape from a crash that authorities say left no other survivors.
TV9 India’s executive editor shared the footage, describing it as showing “the sole survivor of the Air India crash walking away from the crash site.
Desperate search for brother
In a heartbreaking twist, Ramesh reportedly told Indian media that he cannot find his brother Ajay, who was traveling with him but seated in a different row.
“We visited Diu. He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” the survivor reportedly pleaded.
The brothers had been visiting the coastal town of Diu in India before boarding the ill-fated flight back to London, where Ramesh said he lives with his wife and child.
Official confusion deepens
The claims of a survivor have created a stark divide between Indian media reports and official statements from authorities.
While multiple Indian outlets including Republic World and the Hindustan Times have reported Ramesh as the “sole survivor,” international news agencies paint a grimmer picture.
Reuters reported that City Police Chief G.S. Malik said 204 bodies had been recovered from the crash site, with “no reports of survivors being found.
The Indian Express newspaper, citing police sources, reported that all 242 people on board had perished.
What we know for certain
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area just five minutes after taking off at 1:38pm local time on Thursday, slamming into a doctors’ hostel at B.J. Medical College.
The flight was carrying:
- 169 Indian nationals
- 53 British citizens
- 7 Portuguese nationals
- 1 Canadian passenger
- 12 crew members
The aircraft issued a “Mayday” distress call shortly after takeoff but then fell silent, according to India’s aviation authorities.
International response
As confusion swirls over potential survivors, world leaders have expressed their shock at the tragedy.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the scenes “devastating,” while King Charles said he and Queen Camilla were “desperately shocked by the terrible events.
The UK has deployed Air Accident Investigation Branch teams to India to assist with the investigation, given the 53 British nationals on board.
A waiting game for answers
As rescue teams continue to comb through the wreckage and families await definitive news, the question remains: Did Vishwash Kumar Ramesh somehow survive what authorities are calling an unsurvivable crash?
Or are the reports of a survivor a tragic case of mistaken identity or misinformation in the chaos following one of aviation’s deadliest disasters in recent years?
With Indian media insisting on the survivor’s existence while police maintain there were none, grieving families are left in an agonizing state of uncertainty.
Air India has set up an emergency helpline (1800 569 1444) for families seeking information, though clarity on the true fate of all 242 souls on board may take days to emerge from the confusion and devastation in Ahmedabad.
