13 June 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Ramesh Viswash Kumar, the lone survivor of the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, which killed at least 260 people.
Ramesh Viswash Kumar, who was onboard the ill-fated Air India flight AI-171, miraculously survived the fatal mishap, in which all the other passengers and crew members lost their lives.
He is currently receiving medical treatment at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Modi visited the C7 ward of the hospital, where 25 injured people are undergoing treatment.
The Prime Minister also interacted with doctors of the civil hospital, PTI reported.
Ramesh Viswash Kumar was in the ’11A’ seat of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner near an emergency exit and managed to jump out, police said.
Speaking from his hospital bed, the 40-year-old told the media that he was a British national and was travelling to Britain with his brother after visiting family in India.
“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,” Viswashkumar told HT.
It was not clear whether Viswashkumar managed to jump out before the plane made impact.
PM Modi visits the Air India plane crash site
Modi on Friday visited the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad and reviewed the ground situation, a day after the AI-171 flight bound for London Gatwick crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport.
The Prime Minister arrived in the city this morning and proceeded to the site where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi and other officials accompanied PM Modi during his visit.
At least 260 killed in the Air India tragedy
At least 260 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed 33 seconds after taking off on Thursday and rammed into a nearby medical college hostel.
There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane.
A formal investigation has been launched by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that killed 241 people onboard, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed on Thursday.
Summary:
PM Narendra Modi visited Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital to meet Ramesh Viswashkumar, the sole survivor of the Air India Flight AI171 crash, and reviewed rescue efforts and relief operations.