PM Modi reviews Air India crash site in Ahmedabad, meets lone survivor, injured students

Guwahati, June 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited the crash site of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad to take stock of the situation, a day after the tragic incident that claimed over 240 lives.

He was joined by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.

The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, crashed just five minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:38 PM on June 12. The London-bound flight plunged into a residential area in Meghaninagar, killing nearly all of the 242 people on board.

Among the passengers were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. The crash also impacted a nearby hostel housing MBBS students of BJ Medical College.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi met Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the crash, currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was travelling with his elder brother, who did not survive the crash.

“My brother was seated in a different row and didn’t survive. I still don’t know how I made it out alive,” Ramesh told the Prime Minister.

PM Modi also met injured medical students and others affected by the crash at the Civil Hospital. Many of the students had no time to react as the aircraft tore through their hostel building.

International reactions poured in as governments expressed condolences and offered support.

The British High Commission in India confirmed it is working closely with local authorities and families and the Canadian High Commission expressed "deepest condolences to families and loved ones of the victims."

The Indian Embassy in Lisbon acknowledged that seven Portuguese nationals were on board and assured assistance to their families.

- With inputs from agencies