Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the Air India flight AI-171 tragic crash, at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight was on way to London Gatwick when it crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least 260 individuals.
Ramesh, a 40-year-old British citizen, is being treated in the hospital’s C7 ward, where 25 of the other victims of the accident are also being treated. PM Modi also met the group of doctors treating the victims, reported PTI.
‘I stood up and fled’, survivor
Remembering the gruesome accident from his hospital bed, Ramesh revealed to Hindustan Times, “When I stood up, bodies were everywhere around me. I was frightened. I stood up and ran. Pieces of the airplane were everywhere around me. Somebody grabbed me and put me in an ambulance and took me to the hospital.
He was sitting in 11A, just by an emergency exit, and it is said that he was able to jump out, although it remains unclear whether he did so before or after the plane made contact, the police added. Ramesh had taken his brother to the UK after visiting their relatives in India.
PM Modi Visits Crash Site
Earlier in the day, PM Modi also visited the crash site to assess the situation on the ground. He was joined by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and other top officials during the inspection.
The Air India flight, carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed into a medical college hostel 33 seconds after takeoff. The impact was devastating, killing nearly everyone on board.
Of the 242 passengers onboard were 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that a full investigation has been ordered by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to ascertain the reason behind the crash.