‘I ran through burning wreckage, Bodies all around me': British passenger survives Air India crash

June 12, 2025 by News Desk

Just 30 seconds after takeoff, a loud bang shook the Air India Dreamliner headed for London. Within moments, it crashed, bursting into flames with 242 people onboard.

As per a report by Hindustan Times, Among the few survivors is 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who lay injured in Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital on Thursday evening.

“A noise came from somewhere under us and suddenly everything just collapsed,” said Vishwash, speaking from his hospital bed with visible injuries on his chest, eyes, and feet.

A British national of Indian origin, Vishwash had returned to India briefly to visit family and was on his way back to the UK with his elder brother, Ajay Kumar Ramesh, 45. The two were seated separately on the aircraft. “We had visited Diu and were returning together. I can’t find him. Please help me find him,” he pleaded.

The Boeing 787-8, which took off at 1:39 PM from Ahmedabad airport, was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. According to airline officials, 169 of the passengers were Indian nationals, 53 were British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“When I came to, I saw pieces of the plane around me. There were bodies everywhere,” Vishwash recalled while speaking to Hindustan Times. “I stood up and ran. Someone grabbed me and got me into an ambulance.”

His boarding pass still tucked in his belongings, Vishwash said he’s lived in London for two decades, where his wife and child are waiting anxiously for updates.

At the hospital, scenes of anguish played out as relatives of passengers rushed in looking for information. Among them were aides of former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who was also on the ill-fated flight. “We haven’t located him yet,” said Sailesh Mandliya, a former aide. “We’re hoping for any update.”

Authorities have confirmed that an inquiry is underway. Aviation Minister R.K. Tyagi stated that the pilots had 9,300 hours of flying experience combined. Preliminary data suggests the aircraft began a rapid descent at a rate of -475 feet per minute shortly before the crash.

The full list of survivors and deceased has not yet been released.