Modi Visits Air India Crash Survivor Vishwash Kumar at Ahmedabad Hospital

PM Modi Meets Sole Survivor of Air India Crash in Ahmedabad Hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only known survivor of the Air India flight AI-171 crash, which claimed over 260 lives in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Vishwash, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, miraculously survived the catastrophic crash and is currently undergoing treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. PM Modi visited him in Ward C7, where 25 other injured individuals are also being treated, and spoke with doctors to review the medical response.

“I was scared. There were bodies all around me”
According to officials, Vishwash was seated in seat 11A, near an emergency exit on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He is believed to have escaped through the exit—though it’s unclear whether that happened before or after impact.

“When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane everywhere. Someone pulled me into an ambulance and brought me here,” he told reporters from his hospital bed.

He had been travelling to London with his brother after a family visit to India.

PM Modi Reviews Crash Site and Rescue Efforts
Before heading to the hospital, the Prime Minister visited the crash site near Meghani Nagar, where the Air India aircraft struck a medical college hostel shortly after takeoff, killing many onboard and several students on the ground.

He was accompanied by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and senior officials. PM Modi assessed the damage and received updates on rescue and relief operations.

Crash Kills 260, Formal Probe Underway
The Air India AI-171 flight was headed to London Gatwick with 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members. The crash occurred 33 seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

The deceased include 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian citizen.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has launched a detailed investigation. While the cause remains unknown, officials confirmed that early assessments haven’t pointed to a manufacturing defect.