British national has miraculously escaped the Air India Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad, India. Flight AI‑171, carrying 242 people from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed mere seconds after takeoff, tragically claiming the lives of at least 204 individuals so far .
The sole survivor, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40‑year‑old British‑Indian seated in emergency exit row 11A, was found limping away from the wreckage. He was promptly taken to hospital with non‑life‑threatening injuries . Ramesh recounted how “thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.” He awoke amid debris and bodies, instinctively ran away, and received aid on the spot .
Eyewitness and video footage captured the Dreamliner unstable just 30 seconds after takeoff—reaching only 625 feet—before it plummeted into the B.J. Medical College hostel area, igniting a massive fireball . The emergency distress (“Mayday”) call was made but contact was lost in seconds .
The death toll is still being confirmed: local officials have recovered 204 bodies from both the aircraft and nearby buildings . However, official tallies, including ground fatalities, may rise; recent reports suggest the total could be as high as 269—241 on board and 28 on the ground .
Among the 242 occupants were 53 British citizens, 169 Indian nationals, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian . The current investigation, led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, includes assistance from aviation authorities in the UK and US, as well as Boeing . One black box has already been recovered .
Global leaders, including Prime Ministers Modi and Starmer, have expressed deep sorrow. Air India, now under Tata Group ownership, pledged financial support to victims’ families and those injured . This marks the first catastrophic accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner .
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