One Survivor Pulled Alive from Wreckage of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad

In a rare glimmer of hope amid Thursday’s devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad, one passenger has been pulled alive from the wreckage of Air India Flight AI171. The survivor has been identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national.

According to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik, Ramesh was rescued from seat 11A and is currently undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital in Asarwa. His condition is said to be stable, though he remains under close observation.

Vishwash had been travelling to London after visiting family in Gujarat. His brother, 45-year-old Ajay Kumar Ramesh, was also on board the flight. His whereabouts remain unknown, and rescue teams continue their search in the crash debris.

“Within 30 seconds, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,” said Ramesh recounting the harrowing moments leading up to the crash. Describing the chaos that followed, he added, “There were pieces of the plane all around me… Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance.”

Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was carrying 242 passenges, including 12 crew members when it crashed minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft reportedly slammed into a student hostel near a local medical college, causing extensive damage.

Police and emergency responders have been working through the wreckage since morning. The crash has triggered a major investigation by civil aviation authorities, while medical teams and emergency workers continue their efforts at the site. Meanwhile, families of the victims await updates as identification and recovery operations progress.​